I Love My Best Friend
by Kirei Tenshi
Summary: “See that? Always look up and when you see a star, brightest of them all, and as if it was blinking at you, remember that when I die, I’ll be that star and always blink at you at night, protecting you."
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Heya guys

_A/N: Heya guys! I rewrote the whole story so try and reread the story because I edited some parts and descriptions of some chapters. Sorry, though, for the cliffhanger but can people please tell me if I should continue the second part, so far, I've written the second part up to the 7__th __chapter. And so far, the story's fine. Thank you for all those who have commented and reviewed for __**I Love My Best Friend, **__all of you were my inspiration for this revised version. I'm truly sorry if there are any grammatical errors in this revision, I'm still a writer-in-training. Once again, this is not a Naruto-based (Ninja setting) but a modern one. Read and Review further. Hoping the revisions would somehow interest you more. JA NE!_

**I Love My Best Friend**

_Chapter 1_

_The Closer I Get to Loving You_

_**Sakura's Point Of View.**_

"Hey, Sakura! I've got news (it's about _him…_)" I silently muttered under my breath, reading Hinata's popped-up message on my monitor screen. I'd been online for hours now, just staring into my PC monitor, cheerfully listening to my radio, waiting for someone― anyone to chat of talk to me.

'_Him? Sasuke?' _I thought, trying to figure out what Hinata was talking about. I peered at my keyboard and was about to type something when I have heard another beep coming from my computer. Hinata. Another message:

"Look, you have to believe this since I saw the whole scene with my very own eyes. He was wearing a _**bracelet**_. Can you believe that? It even has a half-heart pendant dangling on it, I think it was supposed to be a necklace but he made it into a bracelet, himself."

'_What? Bracelet?'_ I wondered, knowing my best friend, he wouldn't even take a handkerchief I gave him a while back and now ―a _**bracelet? **_I don't think so. I slouched my back and typed in words with serious curiosity, "Do you know who gave it to him? Maybe it's from Neji?"

"Haha, Sakura, Neji? Giving him a half-heart pendant? I don't think so. Besides, I'm not even done with my story yet. It was a _girl _who gave him, 'kay? She was spreading rumors that they (Sasuke and her) were **best friends. **Can you even believe that? The only thing I don't know is the girl's name but as soon as I find out, I'll let you know, I promise. Oh, and by the way, he was the _**3**__**rd**___guy she gave a bracelet to… You know Sasuke, he couldn't say no since we're at a new school and all. England's customs are still within him, I guess," I stared at her message, trying to recompose myself. Have I read something wrong? I don't know. Minutes passed by, my eyes were straining from the radiation the monitor gave off. I shrugged as a mere buzz came from my computer.

**BUZZ!**

"Are you still there, Sakura?"

I shrugged once more and typed slowly and loudly at the same time, "Oh, yeah. But I think I've got to go, I've been online for hours, and I need to get some rest. Thanks for the information, though. I'll be hoping to see you soon."

I took a last glance on the monitor and typed a '_goodbye' _to Hinata and turned everything off. I felt dreadful, not only physically but also emotionally. I've never felt this sad before since that day― darn, I've never been this sad since we changed paths. Maybe being with him just isn't good for me at all. I looked out the window and noticed that it was already late. I needed to go to school tomorrow and then, maybe, just maybe, everything will feel a lot better.

I stood up and laid on my pink bed, slowly drawing my soft pillow close to me as streaks of tears slowly run down my face. What I had kept inside felt so simple and I know it and yet, I prefer to keep it all to myself, it feels like something's eating me inside but I have nobody to tell it all to even if I wish I had. Minutes passed by and without me knowing it, I dozed off.

_**Normal Point Of View**_

'_...it's yet another day,' _thought a sleepy girl as she wore her uniform for school. She never really got the idea why people invented these clothing but she sort of liked it, seeing several people wearing the same thing. This silly thought made her smile a little as she went out her house and started walking her way to school.

The bright sun was beautiful as it rose from the east of Konoha, reflecting on a pink-haired lady's hair band as she was making her way to the Konoha central park, hoping to see her recent friend, Chii, who she's walks to school with. She gently sat down on one of the park's benches as she looked down her phone and was about to contact Chii but was interrupted by someone calling her.

"Hello?" she said letting the phone rest on her ear.

"Sakura-chan! I'm really sorry but I don't think I can walk with you to school today; I suddenly had this early appointment with Ryuka-san so I had to go to school earlier but don't worry, I sent a reliable person to walk with you, ok? Of course, I don't want you walking alone; you might get into trouble. Haha. Take care of yourself. Bye!"

Sakura tried to complain but before words came out of her mouth, fast short beeps were already coming from her phone, irritating her ears. She stared straight ahead as she kept her phone with awe. Why did Chii have to do that for her? She wondered silently as she felt a pang of self-consciousness; she wasn't any good with people she didn't know officially, it was hard for her since she was new at school. She looked around, her heart throbbing nervously.

―_beep._

She looked at her phone and slowly read a message from an unknown number, "Are you Chii's Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, who is this?" she replied, her heart almost skipped a beat.

Realizing the person who sent her a message won't reply to her anymore, she whispered, _'…hello?'_

Minutes passed as Sakura frantically looked around to look for the person Chii asked to walk with her until she gave up and bowed down. Slowly, a shadow covered the sunlight that was streaming down her hair.

"Ohayou," a fair tall man muttered, looking down at her.

Sakura looked up at him and observed him quietly. He had significantly dark green orbs that glistened as the sun's light hits it, complimenting his green cargo pants. His dark hair ―almost raven fitted his fair skin. He was wearing a white loose shirt that went well with the cargo pants, showing off his beautiful, muscle-strained physique and a soft sweet smile, showing his white glowing teeth that seemed to wipe all the darkness away from the world. There were only two words to describe this kind of guy: _**absolutely gorgeous **_but something in him stung Sakura's curiosity; there was something in him that enflamed her past.

Sweet laughter filled the air, breaking the silence, "Checking me out already, I see."

Sakura stood up, she could feel her cheeks burning. She shook her head, trying to deny it but she knew she couldn't deceive anybody with the current color of her cheeks. She tried to ground herself as she looked to his way once again, "Ohayou…"

He flashed her a big smile and bent over and got her things as he turned around and let her bag dangle on his back, "You might not know me, I'm Shin from 3-B and I think you've already figured out that I'm the person Chii asked to walk with you to school," he shouted as he stopped a few yards away from her.

'…_Apparently, you're not really walking __**with **__me.' _She whispered, starting to walk towards his direction and took his hand into a handshake, faking a smile, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

He slightly laughed and looked at her as she released his hand. This was all so formal, so businesslike, so unlike Shin.

"What?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Nothing," Shin shook his head and looked towards the direction of their school, "You just… seem _gloomy _today."

Sakura's eyes bulged. _'Gloomy?' _she thought. How could he have known this? Was he a stalker? Who is he really is? Many questions ran through her mind as she stared at Shin with awe. She shrugged, trying to sound calm, and she muttered, "What? We've only met today… How can you tell that I'm… _gloomy_?"

He smiled at her insecurity, "Of course, how would I know that? Let's assume that I know just because you look unhappy? There you have it."

Obviously, there was humor in it but not for Sakura. She stared at him cautiously, _'Chii… What the hell were you thinking? He could be a stalker of sorts…'_

"Okay. Change subject," she whispered, taking a step forward but looked back at him, "Do you really have to carry my bag?"

He walked up to her and joined her pace, "Not really, its just more necessary."

"Okay. Whatever you say," snorted Sakura under her breath.

The rest of the walk to school was filled with dead silence, just the sound of both their deep and shallow breaths but as soon as they were at the door of Chii and Sakura's room, Sakura quickly took her bag and muttered a soft 'bye' to Shin as she ran in and sat next to Chii, "Chii! I really have to tell you something!"

She looked at her and once again called her but now only as soft a whisper, "Chii…" As soon as Sakura figured that Chii wasn't listening to her, she stood up and went to her seat. Same old seat.

―_**RING.**_

Sakura stood upright and stood up, locking her notebook on her chest as she walked up to Chii.

"Sakura! I have so much to tell ―wait, do you have some problem I don't know about? You seem sad today…" Chii quickly muttered meeting her at the door, she was wearing the same uniform as Sakura was and had tied her brown hair into a ponytail, her bangs almost covering her murky eyes.

Sakura looked into Chii's eyes and faked a smile, wanting to change the subject, "Chii… What the hell were you thinking asking a senior to walk with me?"

Chii laughed and walked with her out the door, "I wasn't the one who asked, Sakura."

Sakura looked at her, astounded, "What do you mean?"

Chii looked at her with a grin on her face, "_**He **_was the _one _who asked me to walk with you."

Sakura stopped and stared straight ahead. She now understood who she was reminded of when she saw Shin. _**Sasuke. **_How couldn't she notice earlier? She pictured Shin in her mind, his wry smile, his dark green orbs, his physique; he _looked _a lot like Sasuke. That was what it was. Shin reminded her of her best friend… even with some personalities. How could someone resemble another person so much?

"Earth to Sakura? Are you alright?" Chii's voice broke her train of thought.

She shrugged, "Huh? Oh, yeah. It's just… He seems―"

"Seems what, Sakura-chan?" interrupted Shin as he crawled up in between them and hung his arm around Chii's shoulder, forming a slight grin, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

Sakura looked at him and hugged her notebook tighter, whispering, "Nothing, Shin-kun."

Shin removed his arm that was slung on Chii's shoulder and stopped in front of Sakura, forming a bigger grin as he playfully but gently pushed Sakura to the wall, "Oh, really, Sakura?" he whispered as he observed her body, her curves, her beautiful long hair. He pulled up his hand and twirled several strands of Sakura's hair in his hand. She looked back and just stared into his dark green orbs, she felt awful as is and this just pushed herself to its limits, she looked dreadfully down the floor as a tear slowly fell down on her cheek.

―_drip._

Shin looked down the floor, too, and realized that Sakura was crying. He put up his hand and gently lifted her chin up as another tear fell on his finger. He just stared at her for a moment, trying to compose reasons why she was weeping over a little joke. He had seen her upset early in the morning but didn't think that this little joke would affect her that much. He slowly took his hand away from her face and panicked, "Sakura? Why are you… you crying? Sakura, please stop… I was joking, only joking!"

Sakura lifted her head and moved slightly forward and started pounding on Shin's strong chest, she didn't care if her hand would bruise, she didn't even care if she broke her hand. She was upset and that was all it took for her to explode like this, it was all too much. Too much _**similarity **_she couldn't take, "**I hate you, Shin! Why are you so **_**stupid**_**? Why do you need to be so similar to him? You almost look exactly like him… You almost sound like him… Why do you need to… to remind me of… **_**him? **_**I hate you! I **_**hate **_you…" she started shouting until her voice slowly subsided and she dropped down to her knees.

Chii ran towards her and helped her stand up, handing her a cup of water as she gave a deadly glare at Shin's direction.

"**What the― **Sakura? Are you alright? What're you talking about? Who's… _him? _We've just met this morning… You couldn't say such things… No…" he muttered, already confused with what Sakura said. All he felt at that very moment was confusion and worry. He just stared desperately at Sakura's and Chii's direction, ignoring Chii's glare.

"Stay away from her," Chii whispered to Shin as she helped Sakura walk away.

"Sakura-chan…" Sakura read the message on her phone as she sat down on her computer chair and turned the radio on.

'_Hmm? Who could this be?' _She thought as she continued to stare into her monitor, waiting more news from Hinata. She stared down her phone, wondering is she would reply to the message…

"Who is this?" she quickly replied, thinking she won't lose anything in this; thinking, _'Maybe… he hasn't completely forgotten me yet.'_

"What? You don't know who this is?" the next message came instantly.

She slouched back deeper into the chair, getting quite irritated and replied, "Would I ask if I knew?"

"Let's say… I'm a person you know. See you tomorrow, though! Bye!" she read out loud, having presumptions of who it really was, '_**SHIN…'**_she bitterly whispered, saving his number and quickly returning her gaze to her PC monitor.

"Haruno Sakura! You can't get what I'd say!" a frantic message appeared on her screen.

"Of course I can't, Hinata," she replied, slightly smiling at herself, she waited for the fast reply, "Silly girl. I heard that Sasuke's _courting_ her… You know, the girl who gave him the bracelet," she read, but only in her mind. She stared, awestruck at the computer, trying to be strong as she loudly typed in bitter words.

"So? Honestly, I don't care about him that much anymore. Bye."

She turned off her computer and lied down her bed, wanting the day to finally end. She gave up forcing herself to sleep when she realized that she wasn't tired enough to doze off, and even if she saw, she was just thinking of too much things to probably sleep it over, _'Might as well get online…'_

'_Signing in as CherryBlossoms…'_

As soon as she got on, a pop-up message appeared on her screen, "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping, Sakura?"

Yet, another unknown person to complete her horrid day, "Who―"

'_SasukeDoesn'tCare is now online…'_

'_Sasuke? Online? That's new…' _she thought swayed by the sudden appearance of her _best friend_. But that was it, she knew for a fact that he won't talk to her, even if he saw that she was online… and she wouldn't like to be the one to talk to him first, she had no choice but to just _ignore _him throughout the night.

―_**BUZZ!**_

She sat up in surprise, reading out loud the next message from her unknown person, completely forgetting about his/her pop-up window, "Hey, you've been on for an hour already and it's 2 in the morning. You have school tomorrow, Sakura. Go to sleep."

"Who the hell are you, anyway? And for your information, it's none of your business if I stay up this late," she angrily typed back.

"Do you have a problem, Sakura? I'm just being concerned," she read. She wondered what was happening to the world, people knew her, but she, though, doesn't know any of them.

"You're my problem, you moron," she started, "I don't even know you, you _**stalker!**_"

"I don't have to stalk you to get near you, Sakura, love," the quick reply came back. Sakura sank on her chair with frustration. She closed his pop-up window and quietly calmed herself down, _'Maybe I should just get―'_

"Sakura, still up?"

'_Huh? Who?' _she thought, confused, "Sasuke? What do you need?"

"I'm going to go straight to the point… Hmm… What can be a great _gift… _for a girl, you know?" she thoughtfully read, her cheeks burning. Disappointment filled her entire body. _'Hinata was right, all along…' _she whispered to herself and gave all her strength to reply, "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I have school tomorrow and I really have to go now."

She didn't wait for the next message, she quickly turned off her computer and slid down her bed, to her pleasure, she slept easily, her body shouting its tiredness.

―_1 new message. __**BUZZ.**_

"What the― Who sane person would message you this early in the morning!?" shouted Sakura as she slowly stood up and looked up at her wall clock.

_**7:14 A.M.**_

"Holy― I'm going to be so late!" Sakura panicked as she stood up straight and went directly to her bathroom and took a quick bath. She ran out her house as fast as she can as she got her phone and messaged Chii that she's going to be late even though she knew that Chii would've figured that out soon enough.

"Why aren't you at school yet, Sakura?" she read the early message. It was from Shin. _'He is really getting into my ner―'_

―_**HONK! HONK!**_

Sakura almost jumped up in surprise, she turned around and saw a black, smooth _Mercedes Benz _in front of her. She wondered who it was but was startled once again with another annoying honk. Slowly, the passenger side door opened and she walked up to it, wondering who it was.

She came face to face with a dark-haired teenager and stared at him. _Shin. _

"Are you going to stare at me all day or will you just hop in? We're going to be late," he snorted.

"Oh! Right!" Sakura mumbled as she hopped in the passenger seat and closed the door. She looked at him, startled with his sudden laugh. He was staring at her, practically laughing at her, "What? Are you going crazy now?"

Shin reached for the sun visor in his car and pulled it down, trying to stop another laugh out his mouth, "Maybe you should try looking at yourself in the mirror before you go out of bed, Sakura."

"Huh?" asked Sakura as she looked up and stared at herself. She looked _horrifying_! "Oh my― I look like a retard! Darn!" she muttered as she hurriedly fixed herself up. She didn't bother with Shin's continuous laughter as he drove up to their school.

She opened the passenger door as soon as they'd park and ran to her classroom, luckily, she was just in time. She sat down on her chair and was startled by a message on her phone. _Shin, _once again, "No thank you again, I see."

She felt frustrated; she was so ungrateful to Shin. She quickly replied, "Oh, right. Sorry about that. Thanks so much."

"There you go. You're very much welcome. I have to go but you have to tell me something later. Bye," came the fast reply. Sakura kept her phone thinking about what Shin meant.

Sakura quickly sat on her computer chair; it seemed already a habit for her. She turned on her radio and got online using her old account and number of messages flooded her screen. Most of it were chain messages so she continuously deleted messages until one.

"Sakura… Can we work _this _out?" she read out loud. It was a message from _SasukeDoesn'tCare_ ―_**Uchiha Sasuke.**_

Mixed emotions filled her up. Why haven't she opened this account before? She angrily wondered to herself.

As if it completed her day, she can't hide back a smile and turned her computer off and laid on her bed, dozing off.

―_**RING.**_

Sakura slowly opened her eyes, awoken by a phone call.

"_Konbanwa, _can I talk to Sakura?" she heard on the receiver, a voice so masculine, beautiful.

She yawned and stretched her hands, "This is she. Who's this?"

"It's… Sasuke," Sakura's eyes opened widely, _'Sasuke?'_

"Sasuke? Why? Is there a problem?" she mumbled nervously.

"Sakura… You see, I have this girl… that I really like. I heard she's studying at your school and I was just wondering… Can you help me out?" That was it. Sakura dropped down once again on her bed, feeling drained. _'It was true… And she's at my school, too…'_

"Oh? What's her name?" Sakura replied, trying not to sound surprised, sad and tired.

"I think it's… Mizu―"

"Mizuno Chii?" she cut him off.

"Yes, do you know her?" he happily muttered.

'_SHIT,' _thought Sakura. She quickly snorted, "Yes, I do know her but I don't think I can help right now, something came up. Sorry, I have to go. Bye," and she hung up the phone loudly, tired of the conversation.

She turned around, pulling her pillow to her chest. Tears were falling from her saddened eyes as she started punching her pillows, several emotions filled her up; anger most. She couldn't keep it anymore, she was just hurt so badly, she started shouting, wanting the pain to go away with her words, "How could _**she**_!? She never even bothered to tell me! And… and how dare _**he**_!? How come every time... every time I get closer to _**loving **_you… you always end up hurting me more? Why―"

**Chapter Ended.**


	2. Chapter 2

I Love my Best Friend

_Chapter 2_

_The Beginning_

"Why―"

―_**knock. Knock.**_

Sakura stopped, startled. She slowly sat up and noticed the door slowly swaying open. Right there, a tall man appeared; he was wearing a fitted green turtleneck that complimented his dark green eyes, and a pair of jeans.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" he whispered, looking worried.

"Wha―Shin, how did you get in?" she muttered, confused. All she wanted to do right now was to cry herself to sleep. She stared at him as the door swung widely open and there appeared a brown-haired girl showing off her murky eyes as she smiled at Sakura and took a step forward.

"**Stop! **Don't go near _**me**_! Get out of _**my **_house! I don't want to see _**you! **_Get out!" Sakura shouted angrily at her. The girl stopped and her face showed a streak of confusion. Just seeing her hurt her more so Sakura looked away from the door, fighting back the interrupted tears.

"Sa―Sakura… Why?" the girl whispered.

"**Just get out!**" shouted Sakura back, she didn't want to talk.

"Maybe you should go home, Chii. Let her cool down first," Sakura heard Shin whisper.

Seconds later, she heard the door click and she looked to see Shin who was holding a mug of what smelled like cocoa. He handed her the mug and sat down on Sakura's computer chair, watching Sakura take a sip of the cocoa, "Feeling better?"

She looked up at him and tried to give a wry smile and nodded.

"I know it's not the right time but… can you explain to me what just occurred?" he whispered, strolling closer to her.

"I don't think I can…"

"Why is that?" he asked, staring into her green eyes.

"It's… just too personal," whispered Sakura as she laid her mug on her side table and took her pillow to hug it as she looked back into Shin's eyes.

"Can't you tell me?"

"I don't know if I can trust you… yet," she replied.

Shin smiled and moved in a little closer, "Would it make it all better if I make a promise?"

Sakura felt like a child, with Shin slowly convincing her, "I'm sorry… Promises… are just meant to be broken," she mumbled, learning from experience.

Shin let out a laugh, "Well then, let's seal a promise that can _never _be broken."

"_What?" _asked Sakura quietly.

Shin raised his hand and put it on the back of his neck and seemed like he was removing something like a necklace. He pulled up a heart-shaped pendant that was dangling on a silver chain. He took Sakura's hand and put it there, locking her hand into a fist, smiling.

"What's this?" Sakura muttered, slowly looking at the necklace on her hand, admiring its beauty.

"It's a gift I was supposed to give to… _Yankumi_," Shin whispered in reply, something about the way he said the name "Yankumi" hurt. His smile slowly faded away, his eyes reminiscing.

"Yankumi? Who's she?" Sakura asked in deep curiosity.

"_Yankumi. _She has long brown silky hair, green orbs, relaxing ones; just like yours… She was my best friend and was… my _**first love.**_**"**

"Your… first love? Then why haven't you given this to her?"

Shin gave off a weak smile and looked into Sakura's eyes, "The day I was planning to give that to her, this very day, and exactly 2 years ago… we were sitting on the roof of my house. We looked at the stars as it started to rain but we didn't care, as long as we're together," his smile widened, looking up the stars, his eyes glistening as he continued, "She asked me, _"Shin, how do you think rain fall? Is it in drops or in threads?" _I looked at her eyes and answered, "_In drops," _I was sure then, and as if time stopped… our lips touched, then there I saw it, rain really fell in drops as I saw it stood still as our lips stayed together. And as we separated, I took it out, the necklace, and was about to hand it to her but it fell a few yards away from us. She wanted to get it… I tried to stop her… but she persuaded on getting it and slowly walked to the necklace. She looked back at me and gave me a sweet soft smile… but then… she… she… _she slipped… _and… _fell. _I ran down to her, but I didn't reach her in time… I called the ambulance but… I was already too late… I could've done something… I could've told her how much I _love _her," Shin's voice subsided as his smile faded and tried hard not to shed a tear.

"_I'm… _I'm sorry, Shin," mumbled Sakura, raising her hand and touched his shoulder.

He looked at her and gave a soft laugh, "Don't worry, it doesn't… hurt much anymore."

Sakura looked at him once more and took her hand off him and then to her side table drawer, drawing something from it and gave took Shin's hand as she slipped it on his wrist. Shin appreciatively looked at its heart locket on, opening it and seeing a picture of who looked a lot like Sakura and onto a watch next to it, its glass glistening as the light of her room drop upon it. It had a golden chain and carvings like cherry blossoms, _Sakura _petals. Shin slowly looked up at her and asked, "Is this you?"

"It's my… mom," started Sakura, "she gave that to me before she… _died _in my hands… she told me that I should always remember her every time I look at her picture," she finished with a smile but she couldn't fend off her tears, and it run down her cheeks. Shin looked at her and stood up, moving closer to her and put his arms around her. Sakura looked up at him and laughed, wiping her tears.

"What are you doing? Look, now you've got me all emotional," Sakura playfully remarks as Shin removed his grasp from her, sharing her laughter. He slightly smiled and took the necklace in Sakura hand and went to her back. Sakura followed is direction as he slowly lifted her hair. Sakura lifted her hand, wanting to help but as her hand touched her hair, she felt a warm sensation flowing through her body as she felt Shin's hand underneath hers. Shin quickly removed his hands, feeling the same sensation and took the necklace from his other hand. He raised it up and slowly put it on Sakura's neck. He sat back down and looked at Sakura as she slowly touched the pendant and they both smiled at one another.

"Now we have a promise, right?" he asked.

She looked back at him with confused eyes, "_Promise? _What promise?"

Shin laughed at her innocence, "A promise… that we'll look out for each other, that we'll tell the other if we have problems… that we'll keep _no _secrets from one another and a promise… that will_**never **_be broken."

Sakura looked into Shin's eyes and saw there a trust she never felt since a long time.

"So―"

"I think I should get some sleep," Sakura interfered, as she slowly lay on her bed, hugging her pillow.

Shin looked at her and smiled, "Maybe you should."

"Shin?"

"Yes?" he answered, standing up.

"Thank you," Sakura's voice subsiding as she slowly dozed off.

Shin smiled and left the room, touching and playing with the bracelet around his wrist.

―_knock. Knock._

Sakura walked up to her front door, her bang dangling on her back and opened the door and took sight of a tall fair guy with dark green eyes looking up the blue cloudy sky. She slightly smiled, remembering what had happened the night before as she stared at him and touched the pendant lying on her neckline. Shin slowly turned around and met her stare; he formed a smile as he saw Sakura staring at him.

"What? Falling in love with me already, I see?" he joked.

Sakura laughed as she walked up to him, "_Haha. _Whatever." Shin slowly followed her lead as he took his phone out and walked up to Sakura, taking a candid photo of her.

"Shin!" she started as Shin took a picture of her, "Where's your Mercedes?"

Shin looked at her and smiled as he kept his phone, "_Secret."_

She stopped and pouted at him, "But you said **no **secrets!"

"Oh? Did I really? How can't I remember anything?" he playfully replied.

Sakura scowled at him with an irritated face and ran towards him, "Oh, I am so going to get you!"

Shin ran away from Sakura as she tried to catch him, but in the very end, she ended up running in front of Shin. They were happily teasing each other as they run fast towards their school as Shin suddenly lost his balance and fell on top of Sakura, his hands pinning Sakura's hands on the ground and so were his legs. Dead silence filled the air and the laughters subsided as they both stared at each other as Shin saw something glistening on Sakura's neck and Sakura noticing her bracelet on Shin's left hand. They both felt awkward until Shin stood up and tidied up his uniform, Sakura did the same, turning around and hiding her burning cheeks.

"Sorry, Sakura…" Shin muttered, shy under his breath, breaking the silence.

"Uh… It's okay, Shin. We better get going, though, if we don't want to be late," Sakura replied and saw Shin nodding.

Both of them kept quiet throughout their way to school, hiding their flustered faces.

"Stop. Walk beside me, please," whispered Sakura to Shin as they arrived a few yards away from the school's gate, Shin stood beside Sakura, looking confused. They both went up the gated of the school, close to one another as Shin caught a glimpse of a guy wearing a different uniform but was standing in front of their school's gate, looking for someone. Shin stopped at his steps noticing that the guy looked a lot like him except for the color of their eyes. Sakura desperately looked at him and took his hand in hers, "Shin, please don't stop… pretend you don't see him, please."

Shin looked into Sakura's green watery eyes and nodded. They walked straight ahead, hands locked together and avoiding the guy in front of the gate until he stopped in front of them, staring―almost glaring at him. Shin stared back at him and smirked. He could feel Sakura holding tighter to his hand and looking away from the guy, like he wasn't even there. The guy smiled and walked towards Sakura's direction.

"Sakura, I'm―"

"What do you need from me, Sasuke?" Sakura interrupted.

"Sakura… I just want to talk to you," he whispered, his smile fading away.

"I think that this is not the right time, Sasuke. As you can see, I have to go to school," she replied, holding Shin's hand tighter.

"But, Saku―"

"Hey, dude, she said she can't talk to you right now," Shin finished for him, seeing Sakura can't handle the conversation anymore. Sakura looked up at him as Shin shifted from her side and went in front of her, her hand still in his.

Sasuke glared at him, wondering who he was and what the hell was he doing with Sakura, holding her hand. He slightly smirked then smiled, "And who are you to order _Uchiha Sasuke _around?"

"As―"

"Stop it, Shin. We're getting late," interfered Sakura as she pulled Shin away and walked past Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. It's just… He won't stop. Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura shook her head as she removed her grasp from Shin's hand and continued her way to their classroom, "Bye, Shin. Thanks for earlier."

Shin gave her a smile and waved goodbye, shouting, "Take care!"

Sakura turned around and hurriedly went to her chair trying to ignore Chii on her way hearing her shouting her name.

"**Sakura-chan!" **Sakura heard Chii shouting as she quickly went out their classroom, looking for Shin; she needed support from him. She was running towards the gate as she was pulled up to a halt by a force that held unto her arm. She turned around to be face to face with Chii, staring into her murky eyes. She pushed away the hand that held unto her arm tightly as she looked so sour and bitter at the same time. She looked away, avoiding those eyes she started to hate, avoiding herself to drop down on her knees and lose her temper.

"_What?" _she whispered, wishing no one heard her and stops to watch.

"What's the problem with you, Sakura? What have I done?" Chii demanded.

"I―I can't sa―say…" Sakura stuttered, avoiding Chii's stare.

"Sakura, look at me! Tell me what's wrong!" Chii held unto Sakura's arm once again and pushed her to look into her murky eyes, as their eyes met, Sakura's eyes forced out tears.

"I told you, Chii. I can't," Sakura replied, defenseless.

Chii started to raise her voice further, she sounded so irritated and angry at the same time, her grasp on Sakura got tighter, her fingernails burying deeper into Sakura's skin, "_**Why can't you tell me, Sakura? What―**_"

"_Stop it, Chii! She said she can't tell you what's wrong, let go of her!" _Shin interrupted as he took Chii's grasp on Sakura off and helped Sakura on his back. He protected her from Chii. He looked at Sakura and nodded to her, as if saying that he was here for her. He glared back at Chii with terrifying eyes, deep anger filled within it, together with concern.

"Why, Shin? You have nothing to do with this. This is between me and―"

―_**slap.**_

Everyone around them came to a halt as they stared at Chii in horror. Chii had stopped in the middle of her sentence; it seems that everyone heard that slap. Shin and Sakura stared at the raven-haired man as he was looking down at the floor, with fists clenched in anger. He then looked up and glared at Chii, his eye color turning slowly to blood red.

"**Don't you dare shout at my **_**best friend**_**!**" he shouted angrily at the awestricken girl in front of him, who was touching her red cheek as he hid his hands inside his pockets and started walking away.

Shin and Sakura just stared at him as he walked away. Tears flowing down Sakura's face as she dropped to her knees. Shin bended over and wiped Sakura's tears away, whispering, "_I'm here for you, Sakura."_

"_Take me home, Shin… Please, take me home…" _she whispered back, closing her eyes, her body weak.

He looked at her and slowly picked her up. He took a last glance at Chii's direction as she stared at them with the same watery eyes as Sakura's as she continuously held onto her swelling cheek.

Shin slowly bent and gently laid Sakura on her bed. He turned around until he felt something tucking on his shit. He turned to look at Sakura again and saw that she was pulling on his shirt, keeping her hands tightly on his shirt. He slowly removed her hand and sat down on Sakura's computer chair, looking at her beautiful face, and took his hand in his. His eyes filled with concern as she saw the way Sakura reacted to what had happened earlier.

Sakura tried to open her eyes, twitching as she took sight of Shin. She tried to smile but her muscles didn't react at all. She felt numb. She held on his hand tighter as she tried to pull him closer to her. Shin reacted quickly and bent over to her, their faces only inches away and she could feel his even breathing landing near her ear.

"_Thank you, Shin…" _she whispered into his ears.

"_Don't worry, Sakura… I told you I'll always be here for you." _He replied with a small smile.

Sakura peeped into his eyes and removed her hands from his as she turned around and tightly hugged her pillow, _"Stay with me, Shin. Please don't leave… don't…"_

Shin looked at her for the last time, looking into her relaxing green eyes as they slowly closed as he sat back down on her chair, not leaving due to her request. Inside, he didn't want to leave her too. He slowly looked at the bracelet on his left wrist and opened the locket, looking straight into the same green eyes of Sakura's mother, muttering words he never believed he'd say since Yankumi died.

―_knock. Knock._

Shin quickly opened his eyes, startled by the loud knock from the door; he didn't want to wake up Sakura. He looked at Sakura and confirmed if she was still asleep and quietly walked up to the door, _"Who is this? How'd you get into the house?" _he whispered as quietly as he could, trying not to wake up Sakura and at the same time not opening the door. He didn't want anyone in the house unless he knew him/her.

To Shin's surprise, the door swung open without him opening it. He took sight of a tall, raven-haired guy, a familiar one, but still, it amazed him that they looked a lot the same. He observed him quickly, his eyes as dark as his hair with his dark blue shirt and white cargo pants, it was Sasuke. Sasuke was raising a key up and kept it as he silently walked forward and sat on the computer chair near Sakura's bed.

He stared at her first, observing her long pink hair as it almost covered her pail skin, _"Sakura's parents gave it to me when we were still…" _he equally whispered, starting off.

Shin looked at him and sat down on the other chair beside the other side of Sakura's bed, looking straight into Sasuke's eyes, "_…still what?"_

Sasuke shrugged and hesitantly replied, "_…kids."_

Shin looked at him, unsatisfied, taking a hint of the hesitance in his voice. He sat down in a more relaxing manner, realizing that this will be a long talk, _"So… care to elaborate, __**best friend?**__"_

Sasuke looked up at him and smirked, he wouldn't give in that easy, "_Why don't you go first, __**Shin?"**_

Shin shrugged, he was good at this game, _"I only helped her get out of Chii's way. You seem to know her, right? Care to explain that?"_

Sasuke looked at him, interest coursing through his body, he knew that none of them will give in to this silly conversation, he sat up straight and moved closer to Sakura and slowly touched her face, smiling, _"We __**were **__best friends."_

Shin smirked, equally twitching as he saw him touch Sakura's face, but he had won, "_Were?"_

Sasuke removed his hand and kept it in his pockets, looking out the window, _"We just… drifted apart."_

"_I don't understand. Why don't you elaborate further?"_

Sasuke's voice had a pinch of irritancy as he whispered, _"It's a long story."_

"_I'm all ears," _Shin replied with a smile, catching the glimpse of irritancy from Sasuke.

Sasuke looked back at Sakura, sighing; his blank face slowly mellowing, "_You see, I grew up in England with my mother; I studied that for quite a while until my mom wanted to move back here and start up a business. I liked the idea of returning to my hometown, even if I can't speak fluent Japanese, something in Japan draws me here. So I had to study in a new school, with new people and new surroundings. I am not a people person, I had few friends…"_

"_I figured…" _Shin snorted, interrupting Sasuke's story.

Sasuke ignored him and continued, _"I still remember… there was this pink-haired girl sitting in the far corner of the room, reading to herself, as she looked up and smiled at me. She seemed welcoming, but I can't talk to her, as I've told you, I can't speak fluent Japanese. I was surprised as our teacher let me have a seat next to her, asking her to be responsible… for __**me.**_**"**

**Chapter Ended.**


	3. Chapter 3

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 3_

_Care to explain? Best friend?_

Shin stared at Sakura, it was easy for him to see Sakura as that girl, he always saw her as a cheerful and warming person. He slowly formed a smile and looked back at Sasuke as he was continuing his story, _"I thought, 'Okay, she seems nice… but I'm not sure.' I really thought that she'd just be like all the other girls, __**irritating. **__But… she wasn't… she was extraordinary; I know that you've already seen that, by the way you look at her… She taught me what a friend truly means. She was the person who helped me learn Japanese. We were very close and we had several things in common, we both knew that we were __**best friends, **__I―"_

"Shin…" Sakura whispered, turning around and hugging her pillow tighter, interrupting Sasuke.

They both looked at her, both drawn to her attractive smile, _"I better get going before she wakes up. I know she wouldn't want to see me."_

Shin nodded as he stood up and opened the door for Sasuke.

"Sakura! Here's your breakfast!" shouted Shin as he went up the stairs, a tray of food on his arms, as he opened Sakura's bedroom door, seeing a pink-haired girl who was standing by her window, looking up at the bright morning sky with eyes so relaxing and reminiscing. Shin put down the tray on Sakura's bed side table and walked up beside Sakura as he looked up the sky, too, copying her; sighing as he saw how beautiful this morning was.

"What mystery do you think the sky has?" Sakura suddenly asked, breaking the calm silence.

Shin looked at her appreciatively and asked, "Why?"

Sakura slightly smiled and stretched her hands up, remembering her past, "Somebody asked me once, _"Where does the sun go when the moon is up and where does the moon go when the sun is up?" _and though I knew that science has its answer on that, I can't help but wonder what really the mystery behind the sky was."

Shin bent over and looked back up the sky, "What did you answer, Sakura?"

Sakura grinned and looked into Shin's dark green eyes, "I answered, _"I don't know… All I know is that, if we are ever separated from one another, just look up the sky and remember that we're looking up at the same mysterious one."" _

Shin looked back up her and wondered who asked her that silly question. _'Would it be possible that Sasuke was the one who had asked her that question?' _he thought to himself as he continued to stare into Sakura's green eyes and slightly frowned; he felt a sudden pang of hurt he hasn't felt in two years. All he could do now was look back up at the sky and ask, "Did some special ask you that?"

"Un," mumbled Sakura under her breath, letting her admiration go back to the sky.

Shin grinned, "But that's impossible, Sakura! I haven't even asked you that question yet!"

Sakura laughed and looked at him, "Yeah, right. I think I'm daydreaming right now. With you saying that you're special to me."

"Ouch, that hurts," Shin started as he pouted at her, "But you know, if you were daydreaming right now, I bet you're daydreaming that we'd be kissing by now."

Sakura laughed more and shook her head in disagreement, "I was wrong, I'm not the one daydreaming, _you _are."

They both laughed hard, their stomachs aching until their laughs subsided and awkward silence replaced the happiness.

"Maybe you should eat your breakfast now, Sakura, before it gets cold," muttered Shin, wanting to break the silence. Sakura looked at him and nodded.

"I'm bored," Sakura mumbled after minutes of just staring into each other's eyes, "Do you want to go to the arcade?"

Shin smiled at her and replied, "That's a good idea."

"Sakura! Look, look! Look at what I got for you!" Shin excitedly shouted as he pushed something on Sakura's palm and grinned at her. They were already at the arcade having fun and Shin left Sakura for a moment saying he had to go get something.

Sakura scowled at him and looked at the pig on her hands, "I don't want it."

Shin looked at her and frowned, "You don't want it? But I worked hard for this!"

"It reminds me of something," replied Sakura, closing her eyes, and slowly, images started to move in the back of her mind, reminiscing.

_**Flashback.**_

"_Sasuke, look! I have a gift for you!" Sakura shouted as she walked up to the raven-haired boy and handed him a perfectly gift-wrapped box._

_She looked at him as he slowly ripped off the wrapper and stared at her gift, "Are you insulting me, Sakura? Giving me a stupid personalized handkerchief with __**your **__name on it? What would people think? That you and I are together? I'm Uchiha Sasuke for Hokage's sake! I can't and I won't accept this," he snorted as he hurriedly handed the box back to Sakura and started walking away._

"_Sakura!" Sakura looked around to see who the person was, after having been rejected by Sasuke, she just sat in one corner and waited for a friend to come up to her, "Look what I got for you!" she saw an excited Uchiha running towards her, pushing what seemed like a keychain into her palm._

"_What's this for?" she asked as she stared at it, glaring at its pig design._

"_It's a gift!" he cheerfully muttered, "It made me think about you!"_

_Sakura glared at him, "And how does it make you thank about me?"_

_Sasuke grinned and teased, "You look a lot like the pig!"_

"_Sasuke, I'm Haruno Sakura, for Hokage's sake! I don't look like a pig," Sakura argued, using Sasuke's own words as back up but accepted the gift anyway._

_Sasuke sat beside Sakura playing with the keychain and continually teasing Sakura with it, "Oh, wait, Sasuke, I'll just get something," Sakura stood up and ran from where Sasuke entered earlier._

_Sasuke sat eagerly; waiting for what Sakura would get, "Sasuke! Look, I got something for you! I think you'll like it __**a lot."**__ Sasuke smiled, thinking she had a new gift for him; something a lot better._

"_What's it for?" he asked._

"_This reminds me a lot about you!" Sakura mumbled, handing over the "gift"._

"_How does this make you think of me?" Sasuke asked, not bothering to look at the gift._

_Sakura snorted, "You really look like that __**pig**__!"_

_Sasuke looked down at his hand and saw his gift to Sakura on his palm. He frowned and looked at Sakura's green eyes, "What? You don't want it? You're going to return this to me? Even after I freely accepted that handkerchief you gave me a while ago?"_

_Sakura laughed, he __**had **__agreed to accept the handkerchief she gave him but only because she persuaded him into, she knew he never would accept it willingly. She pouted and teased, "I don't know but it really reminds me of you, of course, if you think hard about it, all pigs ever do is to eat, fall asleep, eat some more and nap some more and if __**we **__think of it, all you ever do is to eat, fall asleep, eat some more, take a nap in class, eat some more and finally, fall asleep agan. Oh, what a coincidence! You two __**are **__so much __**alike!" **__she then ran away from Sasuke after teasing him, she just knew he would get so mad._

_**End of Flashback.**_

'_Then again… I wonder why Sasuke willingly accepted the bracelet Chii gave him while everything I tried to give him, he just rejected… Maybe he just really likes her… __**a lot**__.' _Sakura quietly thought as she squeezed the stuffed toy in her hands. She looked up at Shin, "I really don't want it. Why did you even get this for me?"

"Well… it… reminds me of you," Shin answered as he playfully scratched his head, quite teasing her with his faint grin. He quietly laughed as he saw Sakura's cheeks burning with anger, her nose flaring. Sakura smiled and moved closer to Shin and stuffed the toy into his face and then walking out of the arcade and sat angrily down on a bench.

Shin bent down and got the toy in his hands and ran out the arcade, seeing Sakura. He walked up to her and sat down beside her, smiling, "I didn't know you were that _easy _to tease."

"Hn. Get that stupid pig away from me," Sakura replied, looking in a far away direction.

Shin looked at her and playfully pushed the pig to her side, "But why, Sakura? You two are so much alike. Please tell me."

Sakura looked at him with eyes that were giving up. She frowned, "You _two _really are alike… That pig… it reminds me of my… _best friend."_

Shin smiled, this was what he was waiting for for a long time now, and this was his chance to know what was going on with Sakura, "_Best friend? _Care to explain further… _**best friend**_? This is what I've been waiting for, Sakura. Why don't you tell me the story? The story why you've been so gloomy this past few days," Shin replied as he intense look into Sakura's green eyes and stopped pushing the stuffed toy to Sakura.

Sakura frowned and looked down at the floor; she then raised her head and looked thoughtfully at the sky, _'Maybe he has to know it…' _She smiled and told him, "Maybe it _is _time that I'll tell my story to someone."

Sakura lowered her head and looked at Shin; she gave him a weak smile and started, "You see… I lived here in Japan for all my life and at some point, I got tired of it, I wanted to go somewhere else; somewhere where I know I can truly belong. I felt like I never really belong here in Japan… I knew that very well. I very much wanted to go somewhere where everything and everyone will accept me, somewhere like… _England_… I was very in love with England that time and then… I saw _**him… **_Our teacher was introducing him to the class and I gave him a welcoming smile, interested as it is that he lived in England since birth. Everyone seemed to love him in our school―"

"Unbelievable," Shin whispered, interrupting Sakura's statement. She gave him a disapproving look. He pouted a sorry at her and asked her to continue, "I was surprised when our teacher told me to be his guide in school since he can't speak fluent Japanese yet and I had so much fun teaching him… We had so many things in common; he was the friend I was looking for all my life… Our family knew each other well and we both knew without reason that we were _**best friends… **_he―"

―_**Ring. Ring.**_

Sakura stopped, interrupted by a phone call. They both looked at her pocket as her phone blinked and rang. Sakura hastily took it out of her pocket and answered it, mouthing a sorry to Shin, "_Konnichiwa," _she answered.

"Yes, this is she speaking."

"Really? Tomorrow?"

"Is it really that important?"

"Why? Tomorrow's better, I'm with someone right now."

"Hn. Okay, I'll give you a message when I get there. Bye," Sakura kept her phone and looked at Shin with a sorry face.

"Who was that?" he asked, looking up at her.

"It was Hinata, she was asking me to meet her tomorrow, early in the morning," Sakura started, she took Shin's hand in hers, "I'll tell you the rest of the story when I get back from our meeting tomorrow, okay? I'll be leaving now. I'm really sorry, and thank you for a very fun day," she finished as she let go of his hand and stood up and started walking away, leaving Shin there, staring at her back in awe.

With Sakura, already out of sight, Shin stood up and left. Both of them walking away, going in different directions, seemed to forget something on the bench; it was the stuffed toy, the representation of their loneliness that was left all alone and will never be remembered again, not when they were friends, and protects the other.

**Chapter Ended.**


	4. Chapter 4

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 4_

_Let's Get it Over With_

"Hinata-chan! There you are," shouted Sakura as she took sight of blank eyes searching for hers. She had prepared early for their meeting, longing to see her old friend. She had a soft smile across her face as she run up to her and met Hinata's gaze. Hinata smiled at her as she gave out her hands and took Hinata into a big loving hug. Hinata hugged her back making Sakura smile bigger as she whispered, "I've missed you so much."

When Sakura released her, Hinata looked into Sakura's relaxing eyes and slightly frowned, guilt overpowered her conscious, and she knew that her eyes showed her off, "Sakura… I'm sorry… I called you… because… I, I―"

"I told her to call you, Sakura," interfered a raven-haired guy as he walked towards both of them from his car. He looked up at her, with eyes unreadable, "I knew you wouldn't meet me if I was the one who asked you," he continued. Sakura turned around and started walking away, giving a disappointed look at Hinata.

Sakura stomped away, anger filling her eyes, but was put to a stop when a hand pulled her back, tightly grasping her and pushed her to turn around and lock her gaze into Sasuke's dark eyes, "Let's get this over with, Sakura."

Shin went up the stairs and slowly opened Sakura's bedroom door, he knew that Sakura wasn't home this morning. He was a bit thankful that Chii let him borrow Sakura's house keys. He let the door open widely and went quickly inside, closing the door behind him. He thoughtfully sat down on Sakura's computer chair and caught a glimpse of Sakura's open drawer. He stood up, his mind filling with curiosity as he looked down into the contents of the drawer. There were ordinary things and he slowly lost interest until he an envelope with the name _'Sasuke' _imprinted on it. He took out the letter, wanting to know what was in it, and opened it, starting to read in his mind,

"_To my dearest Sasuke,_

_How do I start this? How can I possibly compare this little gift to something material, bought with valuable money and can be used everyday? All I have at this moment are words and I know that even if this is a simple gift, at the very least, it had come from my heart, with love and truthfulness in every word._

_At first, I had wondered, why did we ever become best friends? Is it that simple? I only remember that we met each other at school, but how did we really become __**best friends**__? Is there really an explanation for all of this craziness? What does it really take for someone to become best friends with another person? Do they need to have the same personalities? The same favorite food? The same favorite show? I really wondered what it takes to be the best among all his/her friends, but now, I realized that the two of you can be opposite in every way, it just takes for you to care and love one another. I guess I really cared and loved you, is that what it takes? Do you, too?_

_We called each other best friends, maybe you cared too… but maybe it was also our destiny to drift apart―to be separated from each other. Our friendship didn't really work out, now, did it? And that's just it. Honestly, I cried every night that we had a fight, but I really don't know why, is it because I knew that our stupid friendship is slowly dying or is it because I'm only jealous that you're having other friends and slowly, I'm fading from your life? I know it's stupid, but maybe it's time that I tell you everything," _Shin looked at the paper, reflecting on what was written on the first paper; he could feel her pain, he wanted to know more. He got a hold of the second page and continued.

Sakura looked away and saw Hinata walking away from both of them. She looked back at Sasuke and nodded, giving up, "Okay, just… let **go **of me."

Sasuke slightly smiled, knowing he had his way, and let go of Sakura's hand. He turned his back to her and looked up the sky, reminiscing the old times he had with his best friend, "Sakura, do you remember this?"

Sakura looked to what he was staring at, she couldn't read what was written on his face, "What _'this'_?"

"This, _'Where does the sun go when the moon is up and where does the moon go when the sun is up?'_" He replied, appreciating the cool breeze as clouds covered the sun's blinding light.

Sakura frowned and stared at him, "What do you mean?"

Sasuke bowed down and regained his usually blank face, looking back into Sakura's watery green eyes, "Have you forgotten what you told me before, Sakura? That if we are ever separated from one another, I should just look up at the sky and remember that you're looking up at the same one?"

Sakura looked away, holding back the liter of tears that was filling up her eyes, "I never said such a thing," she replied coldly.

He just stared at her, he knew everything had fallen apart, he couldn't deny it, but he wondered why he had to talk to her, it was a very good day as it was, Cherry Blossom petals were slowly falling down from its tree and were carried away by a cooling breeze that let his and Sakura's hair flow to the east but he knew he had to end this unpredictable friendship. He walked up to her and stood beside her, "What happened to us, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head frantically and forced her tears not to flow down her cheeks, why must her heart betray her? "I don't know, Sasuke… Maybe it was meant to happen."

Sasuke's face remained black, with no expression at all, "Weren't we _best _friends?"

Sakura continued to shook her head, she couldn't take it anymore; she didn't want any of this, a tear fell down her cheek, "We _were, _Sasuke… but… not anymore."

"Why, Sakura? Did I do something wrong? Did you?"

"Maybe it was God's plan that we were not really meant to be friends; like a simple mistake."

Sasuke raised his hands up and gently lifted Sakura's head, forcing her to look into his eyes. He slowly wiped her tears with his soft hands, "_**Mistake, **_Sakura? Is that what we had? A simple mistake?" he whispered, leaning closer, "How could you say such a thing? I tried, Sakura… I tried to fix this friendship, every time I had the chance. You just… changed… _we both did._"

"The _**only **_constant thing is change, Sasuke, we have to accept that fact," Sakura muttered, raising her hand and slowly removed Sasuke's hand on her cheek. She turned her back to him and took a step forward but was stopped when she felt warm arms wrap around her body; Sasuke was _**hugging **_her.

Shin adjusted his sight on the paper and slowly sat down on Sakura's bed, looking at the second paper in his hand and held it tightly, almost clutching it in his hands but continued to read,

"_You were new at our school and I was so interested that you lived in England since birth. I thought you'd be a lot of fun to be with. I was surprised when our teacher asked me to help you out, we had so many things in common, we were really the best of friends. Do you remember when I taught you Japanese? I always tried to help you, right? Why, though? Why did I help you? I was __**obliged **__to help you; I cared for you… but what happened? Why did I have to shed the tears that I already did? We've changed, I know, we've both changed but we needed to accept it, right? For we both know that change is the __**only **__constant thing._

'_**Please, can we build it again? 'Cause it's causing me pain, just do it for me, but I think it'll take more than a century…'**_

_I once wondered to whom you offered those words. While everybody thought it was for me, I've always said, "he'd never tell me those things, knowing him.'_ _I've always thought it was for somebody else, for your other close friends. You had so many; it gave me the idea that there was another person you were meant to be best friends with. Maybe I was just jealous that I'm fading from your life and I knew it, knew that someone else is taking my place but I had no right, I couldn't hurt you more; we were always fighting, shouting at each other._

_I really cried, and shed tears that I know I can never bring back because I was already facing the fact that we were not the ones we were back then; that we've changed and drifted apart. I really wish that we could bring back everything to the way it __**was**__. I truly care for this friendship and I'm so sorry for all the things I had contributed to the ruin of this nonsense friendship. Maybe it was really my fault why we were separated, and I'm sorry for that._

_I love you, Sasuke, and I still care for you as my best friend; I'll always do. I just hope you do, too."_

Shin turned it around, _"I just hope I had the courage to give this to you," _he read out loud. He slowly put the letter back into its envelope and slipped it into the drawer. He was angered and lonely at the same time, for him and for what Sakura felt―he was falling _in love _with her, **Haruno Sakura**, but he knew, he knew that Sakura was in love with Sasuke, and he knew that, she didn't have to tell him. He looked back at the envelope, staring at the name of Sasuke on it for the last time and slowly closed Sakura's drawer.

Sakura raised her hand up and touched Sasuke's arm around her, "Sasuke… What are you doing?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt the warmth of Sakura's body flow with his and whispered to her ears, _"Sakura, can we build it again? The friendship we once had?"_

Sakura's hands dropped as she burst into tears and closed her eyes, too, _"I think we can't, Sasuke…"_

He opened his eyes once again and stared straight ahead, "Why?"

Sakura tried to pull herself away from Sasuke and slowly muttered, _"…because I __**love**__ you, Sasuke, I've fallen in love with you," _more tears filled up her eyes as she took a step forward, Sasuke's arms dropping to his side. He stood there in awe and let Sakura ran away from him, and all he could do was to stare at her back as she swayed away from him.

**Chapter Ended.**


	5. Chapter 5

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 5_

_When She Cries_

Sakura ran towards her house, wiping her tears away. She saw Shin in his jeans and a loose shirt closing their main door as she arrived their front yard. She walked up to him and looked into his eyes, she wished he wouldn't mind her, but she knew her eyes were too swelled up to pretend that nothing had happened.

"Saku―"

"I―I don't have ti―time to talk ri―right now, Sh―Shin," Sakura stuttered, looking away as she held back the tears she knew wanted to get out of her system, "Something came up," she quickly added as she ran in her house and opened her bedroom door, locking it and jumped on her bed, crying her heart out. Shin went after her, his eyes filling with worry. He stopped at her door, knowing it was locked and heard her jump on her bed, crying loudly as she muttered things under her breath. He slowly leaned on the door and quietly listened, his heart breaking every minute he heard her moan in pain. He sighed and remembered the things he read on the letter, he slightly frowned as he turned around and pushed the key into Sakura's doorknob.

He slowly opened the door and saw Sakura standing by her computer and turning her radio on to its loudest volume as she sunk back down her bed, she didn't care if Shin was there, besides, she didn't even hear him coming. She just dropped back on her bed and continued crying.

Shin took a step forward hearing the radio,

'_When she cries,_

_At night_

_And she doesn't think that I can hear her_

_When she tries_

_To hide_

_All the fear she feels inside_

_So I pray_

_This time_

_I could be the man that she deserves_

'_Cause I die,_

_A little each time_

_When she cries…'_

It was Restless Heart singing "**When She Cries**" on Sakura's radio. Shin flinched as he heard the words clearly as he knew that he could deeply relate with what the song interprets. He looked at Sakura and slowly walked up to her. She was too busy crying that she didn't notice Shin sit on the side of her bed and look her soft, hurt face. Shin slowly touched her feet and tried to comfort her. Sakura stopped to look at him, her face obviously torn up; like she wanted to die.

"Look, I don't need you right now, Shin," she muttered as she sulked her head back into her pillow.

Shin removed his hand from her feet and sat properly as he heard her hum together with the radio, trying to calm herself, "_I saw your letter, Sakura…"_

Sakura quickly stood up and looked at Shin with an awful expression on her face, she wanted to tear him up, "You **what**? What did you say, Shin?"

Shin looked into her eyes and slowly repeated, _"I saw you letter… for __**Sasuke.**__"_

Sakura's eyes opened widely as she heard Shin's words clearer. He had read the very letter she had no courage to give to Sasuke, she looked into his eyes with anger and frustration, this she couldn't take, she almost panicked, "**You had no right!**"

Shin stood up and stared straight into her eyes, he wanted to learn more about her, he wanted to comfort her, he didn't want anything coming in between them, he wanted to shout at her, but he couldn't, he knew he couldn't, he was already too much in love with Sakura to have the courage to shout at her, all he could do was to lower his voice and calm down, "I'm sorry, Sakura, you're _right… _I shouldn't have done that," Shin muttered as he turned around and started walking away.

Sakura stood up and quickly followed Shin and grasp his wrist, stopping him, "I'm sorry, Shin… It's nothing. I just… I just didn't want anyone to see that letter…"

Shin turned around, his eyes filling up with tears, he took Sakura's hand and pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly, wrapping his arms around her body, he wanted so much to protect her from the cruel world and just let her cry in his arms, even for just this moment, _"You can tell me everything, Sakura… You know you can."_

Sakura closed her eyes and sobbed in his arms, she felt remorse and safe when Shin's arms are wrapped around her, she felt free; like she could just let herself cry her heart out and she did. Shin raised his hand up and slowly stroked her long pink hair, whispering into her ears, _"Sakura, love, let it all out. Tell me your problem._"

Sakura looked up at him, _"I lost my best friend, Shin, that's my only problem…"_

Shin looked back at her, his eyes filled with anger, why does she have to suffer like this? It angered him, "What the hell is with Sasuke and you can't simply forget him?"

Sakura looked at him flustered, "What's your problem, Shin?"

"_You are, Sakura," _he whispered, angrily, releasing her from his grip. Why must he say that? Why must he ruin that perfectly beautiful moment?

Sakura's body filled with anger, she practically hated Shin for ruining the moment, but why did he have to butt in Sasuke in the subject? "I **am? **I never did anything to cause you problems, Shin!"

Shin looked at her in the eyes and grabbed her wrists, "_Tell me, Sakura, do you __**love **__Sasuke?" _he whispered, holding back his mixed emotions.

Sakura looked in another way, starting to avoid Shin's searching dark green orbs.

Shin couldn't take any more of this, held unto her shoulder and shook her, "Damn, Sakura! Answer me! Do you love _Uchiha Sasuke? _**Look me straight in the eyes and tell me the truth!**"

Sakura looked back into his eyes and slapped him hard in the face, Shin raised his hand up and touched his cheek as tears ran down both of their faces, "_Sorry, Sakura… I shouldn't have done that, it was a jerk of me," _he whispered apologetically as he let his hands drop to his side and walked away, leaving a crying Sakura, staring at his direction.

"…_and that was Restless Heart with 'When she Cries', stay tuned for more―" _the DJ on the radio finally mumbles but was put to a stop as Sakura turned her radio off and once again jumped on her bed, crying and crying until her eyes felt tired enough to let her fall asleep.

**Chapter Ended.**


	6. Chapter 6

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 6_

_I Think I_

Sakura woke up the next morning, her eyes felt too tired of crying, her body still had no enough energy, but still she walked herself to school at very morning, not expecting Shin or even Chii to meet with her; she felt like there was nobody left for her in this stupid world. She felt everything was taken away from her. She just wanted to die at that very moment.

The first thing she saw was a dark-haired guy with his arm slung around the shoulder of the person she hated at that very moment, _Chii, _when she had arrived at school. She stared at both of them, realizing that Shin was the person who had his arm around Chii. She both observed them, laughing and **flirting** with one another, _why was she staring at them? _She quickly shrugged and looked at a different direction, slowly starting her pace towards their classroom.

The entire week passed without Sakura's care or notice. It seemed to her that all she could see was Shin _**with **_Chii, she just can't seem to stop thinking about it; about _them_. The only thing that fills up her mind were questions why he was with Chii even after everything that he found out about her and everything she had been through. She can't stop wondering why everybody she had before, everybody that served a special role in her life just leaves her at some point. She was felt so funny and stupid at the same time every time she saw Shin wrap his arm around Chii but she didn't know why she felt this way. _'Could I be… No…' _she argued with herself every time. She knew she only had one person in her heart.

It was Friday afternoon and Sakura was walking alone, towards her house, noticing a blue _Porsche _parked in front of it. She slowly took several steps forward and let her hand gently slide on its smooth surface as she bent over and looked at its plate number, _"__**UCH1HA**__," _she read out loud. A frown formed across her tired face, realizing that the owner was Sasuke; he was probably inside the house already. She slowly took her hand away from the car and walked up to her front porch and opened the door. Sasuke was sitting on her couch and was watching a TV show. He looked up at her instantly and formed a broad smile, as if nothing had happened last Sunday. Sakura walked up to him and laid her bag on the dining table and slowly sat on the very end of her couch, not wanting to sit beside Sasuke.

He looked at her with a stoic face, "Hi, Sakura."

"Hn," Sakura replied equally cold, imitating Sasuke's expression.

Sasuke gave her a smirk and snorted, "That's my expression."

Sakura stared at the TV, "Who said it was yours?" she mumbled as cold as she can get.

"Hn. Nevermind," Sasuke muttered and looked back at the TV, "What's your problem, Sakura? Why are you so grumpy today?"

"Why do you care, Sasuke?"

"Hmm. Because… just _because_."

"Whatever, Sasuke. If you can give me five valid reasons why, then I'll tell you," Sakura replied, overusing his name.

Sasuke looked into her eyes, thinking out loud as he counted with his fingers, "Hn. _First, _I know that there's a problem with you and I know that I'm the only person here right now that you can talk to," he smiled, "_Second, _I'm _Uchiha Sasuke_ and you definitely can't hide something from me. _Third, _I'm your **best friend**," emphasizing the words 'best' and 'friend', giving Sakura a small grin, "You're obliged to tell me your problems. _Fourth_, I've got nothing else to do, I got so bored here and _last_, **you **have nothing else to do and we've got all night…" he finished, giving a satisfied look at Sakura's direction.

Sakura looked back at him and stared straight into his eyes, trying to read him, "Don't tell me you're going to act like nothing happened at all, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared back at her, equally looking into her eyes, knowing she was still not in any good condition for his jokes, "I'm not pretending that nothing had happened Sakura, I just wanted to know what your problem is; that's far off from pretending."

She looked away, giving him a definite frown, "We're _not _best friends anymore, mind you, Sasuke."

He followed her gaze, thinking she might be looking at something far off, and gently replied, "I know…"

"Shin started avoiding me…" she muttered, trying to change the subject.

'_Good…' _Sasuke thought, giving off a weak smile, "Why?"

"He asked me… he asked me a question… that I know I don't have the capability to answer."

"Question? What question exactly can't you answer?"

Sakura turned the TV off, looking back at him, "He asked me if… if I _loved _you."

Sasuke tried to avoid Sakura's glance, they we're back at the same topic, Sakura's effort of it not being said again was useless. He frowned and remained silent for seconds, saving up some courage to look at her once again, "And? What did you… answer?"

She shook her head in disapproval, remembering the events last weekend, "I―I slapped him… on the face and he just… he just walked away… and all I knew was that I―I was already on my bed, crying myself to sleep," she tried to explain, stuttering.

"…you just **wasted **your tears."

"I know."

Sasuke gave her a disapproving look, "Then he just started ignoring you? Is that _all?_" he started and waited until Sakura gave him a small nod, then continues, "Then why the hell are you so worked up about it?"

Sakura sighed, "He hangs with… _Chii, _Sasuke… and Shin knows what I've been through…" she forced back a tear that was trying to escape her eyes, "…he was supposed to be my guardian. We had a promise―a promise he said that can never be broken."

He looked away, turning on the TV again, _'This bloody conversation is making me tired,' _he thought as he said out loud, "**All **promises are meant to be broken, Sakura. You were the person who taught me that."

Sakura, too, was getting tired with the restless topic. Looking back at the TV, she whispered, "_I know."_

"Do you want me to interfere? Help?"

She opened her eyes widely, surprised, it was the first time Sasuke offered his help to her, "I don't need help… especially if it's from you."

He smirked, "You _do _need my help and you know it."

"What kind of help?"

He looked at her, giving her a wide smile, "I'll pretend to be your boyfriend. In front of him."

"**WHAT?**" she quickly muttered.

Sasuke looked back at the TV, losing interest as he repeated, "I said I'll _pretend _to be your boyfriend, Sakura."

"But―but he's with _Chii."_

He frowned, turning off the TV, "And? So what?"

"I don't get you, Sasuke."

"I don't like her anymore," he sighed.

"_Oh," _Sakura whispered, looking out the window. _'Is this all a dream?'_

"Does that mean 'yes', Sakura, dear?" he asked her, looking into her green eyes intently.

"Whatever."

"It's final, then," Sasuke smirked, turning the TV back on.

The dark-haired guy quietly sat down on his chair and stared at his mobile phone; his heart aching. All he could think about every single day was her; her soft sweet smile, her long pink hair and the way she seemed to light up the aura surrounding her. _**Sakura.**_ Though he hangs out with Chii, he couldn't take his mind off Sakura; he knew he was hurting her. He had no right, but he looks at her, everyday, even if he knew that she couldn't see him looking her way. He was truly in love with her, he felt he loved her more and more each day, but it hurts him whenever he endures the pain when he sees her passing by or talking with someone; knowing that she can never be his. Each and every time he saw her, he felt the sudden urge to walk up to her and talk to her, to say sorry to what he had done, but he just can't; he can't endure any more pain, with her, knowing that she was thinking of another person―a person she loved most.

He flipped his mobile open and stared at his wallpaper, staring at her green orbs, just like Sakura's, but these were Yankumi's, not hers. He slightly smiled, staring at his first love, but his heart now filled with compassion for another person… shouting her name, _Sakura's._ His smile slowly turned into a frown as a tear run down his cheek. He remembered that day, that very day he couldn't reach her; the day he could've saved Yankumi, then maybe he wouldn't be hurting this badly―everything would have change; he wouldn't have met Sakura and he wouldn't have fallen in love with her.

'_What the hell are you thinking, Shin? Sakura was the best thing that came into your life since Yankumi,' _he scowled at himself. He was right at some point, she gave him happiness, he couldn't deny that. He stood up and jumped on his bed, wiping his tear away and leaned his head against his pillow. He slightly closed his eyes and opened them again, feeling the vibration his mobile gave when he receives a message.

'_Shin, do you want to go out tomorrow?' _he quietly read in his mind.

He looked up and saw Chii's name written across the LCD of his mobile phone. His frown grew bigger; he definitely knew that he shouldn't mingle with Chii, knowing it would just hurt Sakura more. He knew that she was the reason why Sakura was so lonely these days, though she only took a small part in it, he made a promise. '_I guess… promises were really meant to be broken…' _he thought, realizing that Sakura had been right all along about promises. He shouldn't have made that stupid promise; he didn't know he couldn't stick up to it. He sighed and felt something sliding on his left wrist; he then took sight of the bracelet Sakura had given him. He opened the locket and saw the picture of Sakura's mother, his mind blurred; he never remembered that the person wasn't really Sakura, that it was her mother, but she looked so much like her, he couldn't tell the difference.

He then remembered Chii's message. He thought hard about it, if he should really go out with her, but he just can't ignore her, after so many times he flirted with her in front of Sakura. He replied yes and fell asleep.

Sakura stood up and stretched up her hand, yawning. She looked up at Sasuke, "I'm going to go to sleep now, you should really be getting home," she said to him.

Sasuke looked at her and half-grinned, "I had no plans on going home, Sakura, besides, I just heard about Shin and Chii are going out tomorrow."

Sakura stopped, and horridly looked at Sasuke, "…and where are you exactly planning to sleep?"

Sasuke gave her a teasing look, turning off the TV and stood up beside her; whispering in her ears, "_I know that you have a guest room, Sakura, don't you play smart with me."_

Sakura gave him a mocking smirk and went directly in her bedroom, leaving Sasuke walking in the guest room.

"**Sakura! **Wake up!" Sakura nudged the hand that was shaking her off her bed as she slowly opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of a raven-haired boy standing in front of her, shoving her off the bed with his strong hands. She raised her hand and sat up slowly.

"What the hell, Sasuke? For Hokage's sake! I was sleeping!"

"Well, you pig, if you sleep a little more, we'll miss Chii and Shin's date, darn it!" Sasuke muttered as he pushed Sakura to stand up and in her bathroom, handing her her towel.

Sakura quickly took a bath and put on the first dress she laid her eyes on. She got out of her house and saw Sasuke already sitting on his Porsche's driver's seat. She walked up to it and opened the passenger seat, sniffing in her body the calming essence that filled the car. She saw down on its navy blue vinyl seats that slowly warmed up her body.

Both of them arrived at the park and saw a dark-haired guy sitting in a very relaxed manner on the bench. He was sitting beside a brown-haired girl as she talked to him, her murky eyes shining. They both slowly went out of the car and started walking down to the edge of the park. Sasuke slowly took Sakura's hand into his, holding it tight as they went and passed Shin and Chii.

Shin noticed them walking pass them, but he tried so hard not to look at them, he knew that he should just ignore them. He knew that Chii hadn't even noticed for she kept telling him some insane story about herself but he―he saw everything, to the littlest details. His heart almost burst from hurt when he saw Sasuke take Sakura's hand in his. Fast thoughts swept through his mind; anger, concern, loath, hatred and so many horrible things. He thought of ways he could do to interfere with Sakura and Sasuke, but he couldn't, he wasn't capable of anything after what he did to Sakura nights before; he was not more afraid of walking up to her. He stood up and told Chii that he had to go to the bathroom.

Sakura noticed him, of course, but she couldn't see that he noticed her too; she got too dissolved and disturbed when she felt Sasuke's hand wrap around hers, but she knew that he was just pretending, and that's what breaks her down. Her train of thought got out of its track when they stopped, she was unaware that she was staring at Shin, and she felt a surge of adrenaline flow through her body as she saw how dense he and Chii could be. She just _can't _keep her eyes off them.

Sasuke looked at Sakura, noticing that she was in a daze, staring at Shin. He was curious, why was she acting this way? Was this a pang of jealousy? He looked, too, at Shin's direction and saw that he too, was slightly looking at them, but he knew that Sakura didn't notice it. He felt this sudden urge to hold Sakura in his arms and hug her, to say that he deserves her more than Shin; maybe more, more than hug her. He then raised his hand and gently stroked it on Sakura's smooth long hair. He smiled, and gently damping his hand on her cheek, moving a bit closer.

"_Sakura, dear, look at me," _he whispered to her ear, his breath reaching her fairly warm neck, _"I'm the one who's with you right now, __**not **__him."_

He slightly moved closer and gently pushed Sakura's face, forcing her to look him straight in the eyes. He moved closer, their eyes met a sudden gaze. He noticed Sakura's body quite shivering and eyes opened widely as she stared at his weak compassionate face looking straight into her calm yet flustered green eyes.

Shin walked towards them, leaning against the brick wall that hid him from their sight. He saw Sasuke stroke her hair, and held on her cheek; it felt awful, seeing them like this but he knew he can't interrupt. His heart was slowly breaking into a million pieces, as he look at them from the side of his eyes, staring intently as they were now only inches apart, their eyes intently looking at one another's. Something Sasuke was whispering into her ear and as she shivered as she felt the small sensation as his breath slowly touched her neck. This was all killing him softly, but he can't afford to look away, knowing that their lips were almost touching.

Sasuke moved a little closer and closed his eyes. He raised his hand away from her face and shifted it to the back Sakura's head, gently touching her soft hair. He pushed her forward, and their lips met. Sakura's eyes opened wider, but he couldn't see it, his were closed. He slowly slid his hand unto Sakura's back as his lips were touching her soft ones.

'_I―I think… I __**love **__you, Sakura…'_

**Chapter Ended.**


	7. Chapter 7

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 7_

_Why I Can't Love you_

'_I―I think… I __**love **__you, Sakura…' _Sasuke repeated again and again in his mind as he raised his hand and gently damped it on Sakura's cheek. He let his eyes remain closed while they stayed there in that special moment. He felt a sensation flow through his body; a longing. Sakura gently closed her eyes too, not feeling that kiss Sasuke was giving her. Sweet sensation flowed through both their bodies. He never thought he would like this feeling a lot, it was as if time stopped and left them alone in this world, somehow, at this time, the world wasn't cruel anymore until his lips roughly separated from her by force. Someone had forcefully pushed Sasuke away from her and they both realized it and opened their longing eyes. As Sakura opened hers, she took sight of a dark-haired guy who was gasping for breath, his hands clenched into a fist with his horrid, fearless eyes glaring at Sasuke. She turned to look at Sasuke who was thrown away a few yards away from them, his nose bleeding. He quickly stood up, wiping his blood off his ruined face. _Shin had punched him right in the face_.

Sakura stood there, her jaw dropped in surprise. She quickly ran towards Sasuke, pushing her hand to Shin's chest, trying to push him away. She looked at Shin with eyes so daring and pained as she turned her back and helped Sasuke stand up, while she glared at Shin. Both their eyes were flaring with rage. Sakura raised both of her hands and walked up to Shin, pushing him away, but he just _won't _budge, he pushed Sakura away from him and moved forward, his eyes intently set on Sasuke.

Sasuke was perfectly standing up, giving Shin a slight smirk. His eyes were equally glaring at him, turning to blood red, "**What the hell did you that for, you git!?"**

Shin looked at Sakura and pointed at her, giving Sasuke a hard stoic face, "**What the hell did **_**you **_**do **_**that **_**for, you stupid brat!?**" he shouted right back at him; pointing him about the sudden kiss he had given Sakura.

Sasuke stood in a cool manner and sunddenly laughed, "Why, _Shin_? Are you **jealous? **Tell me, now, do _you_ have the right to stop us?"

Shin shook his head disapprovingly; he couldn't get what Sasuke was trying to tell him. His frown grew bigger, "I―I… Why? Do you think you have the right, too?"

Sasuke looked up at him and laughed some more, "I **do **have the right, just so you know."

"Wha―What do yo―you mean?" Shin had started to stutter, not knowing what to do anymore.

Sasuke pranced forward and walked beside Sakura, wrapping his arm around her waist, giving her a sweet smile; he knew he had just won this stupid argument, "I'm sorry, we haven't told you yet, did we?"

Shin looked at their direction, looking Sakura straight in the eyes, looking for an answer. He took a weak step forward; he knew that he had just lost, "What do you mean? What haven't you tell me?"

Sakura looked up at Sasuke, questioning him with her eyes. He wrapped both his hands on her waist and pushed her close to him, smirking, "**We **didn't tell you," he started and he looked back at Shin, his grin growing broader, "I'm Sakura's _**boyfriend.**_"

Shin's dark green eyes mellowed and opened widely as he heard the very words that came out of Sasuke's mouth. He then looked at Sakura, ignoring Sasuke's hold on her waist and nervously laughed, thinking that Sasuke was just joking around with him; wanting him to lose it, "I―Is that true, Sakura? Is he really your bo―boyfriend?"

Sakura looked at Shin, her heart equally flattered and a tear flow down her cheek; she looked at the ground for several seconds then raised her head and looked straight at Shin's flustered eyes, "Why, Shin? Did you? Did you tell me when you and Chii got together?" she wiped her tear away and shook her head, "No. Then I think now that it's fair."

Shin shrugged. He shook his head frantically, having not accepted all of this. He looked in another way, he knew in his heart that Sakura was truly right. He fought off his tears but his eyes wouldn't allow him and streaks of tears ran down his flaring cheeks. He looked back at Sakura and Sasuke, ignoring the tears that were continuously pouring down his face, "So that's it."

Sakura looked away; she couldn't take seeing herself cry, not to add up Shin's pouring tears to her burden. She looked back at Sasuke and softly pushed his hands from her waist, whispering, _"Can you take me back home, Sasuke?"_

Sasuke nodded and took her hands in his, "Sakura, are you just going to run away?" they heard Shin mutter. Sakura looked at Sasuke and nudged his stride to a stop, even if it would hurt her, she wanted to hear what he had to say; she wanted to know why he kept bugging her about Sasuke being with her. She felt selfish, not telling him that she loved her but she, too, felt drawn away from him ever since she saw him with Chii.

"_I'm not running away, Shin. You were the first one who left me," _she whispered, trying to search for what Shin wanted to tell her within his filling eyes.

Shin looked at her and dropped down to his knees. Her words had hit him hard in his heart, he knew everything was his fault; he was the one who started all of this nonsense, "I never left you, Sakura…"

"Then what did you do, Shin?"

Shin looked at her with desperate eyes, _"Sakura… I―I just… wasn't there, that's all."_

Sakura gave off a small, painful laugh,"That wasn't what it showed me," she took a step forward, holding onto Sasuke's hand and pulling him.

Shin looked at the floor, hearing them stride away, "Are you that dense, Sakura?"

Sakura stopped and looked at him. _'Dense?'_

He looked up at her, _"Can't you see? Can't you see that I―I __**love you**__!?"_

Sakura looked at Sasuke, she wanted his help. She wanted to get the hell out of there. She couldn't hide away what she had heard; she just wanted to pretend that she didn't even hear anything. She felt Shin stare and it made her shiver, and somehow Sasuke understood that she couldn't take anymore of this. He took a step forward and was about to pull her away when he saw Shin stand up and walked in front of them, grasping Sakura by the shoulders.

"Sakura! Can't you see? I've fallen so much **in love **with _you__**! **_**I love you, Sakura! I love you!**" he shouted as his tears continuously pour down his cheeks and onto Sakura's muffled dress. He started shaking Sakura, not minding the fact that Sasuke was holding her hand as tight as he could and was about to pull her away. He just wanted her to tell him what she thought about all of his craziness. He wanted to end this, even if it meant that he had to get hurt.

Sasuke looked at Shin and tried pushing his hands away Sakura but stopped when he saw that Sakura was planning on saying something. He looked at her and let go of Sakura's hand and moved a bit from them, thinking he'd just wait in his car but Sakura got his hand and looked at him with eyes so pitiful, "Stay, Sasuke, I want you to hear this, too."

Sakura looked back at Shin and nudged his hands off her, she can't keep this up much longer, she knew that she would eventually lose it; she wanted this as fast as it could be, "Do you really want to know, Shin?" she started, searching his swelling eyes, "Why I can't love you?"

Shin let his hands drop and stared at her, waiting for her explanation, "Why, Sakura? Am I too old for you?"

Sakura frowned, giving him a serious daze, "I'm serious, Shin. You're the one who said that you wanted to know about this."

Shin shook his head, he wished that he was just dreaming all of this; he wished that this would just turn out a horrifying nightmare and when he wakes up, the pain would all go away, "Okay, Sakura. I really want to know… Even if it means I have to get hurt."

Sakura looked at Shin to Sasuke and back at Shin, she wanted all of this to end, and she wanted both of them to hear everything she had to say clearly. She frowned and looked down at the floor, _"I can't love you, Shin…_" she started as a whisper, but continued, "…it's because I love somebody else," she looked up and saw Shin flinched, "I've loved him since we were kids… every time I saw him… my heart felt like skipping a beat and every time he shouts my name, I feel like an angel was calling me," she gave off a faint smile, "I liked that books he reads, I liked the things he wear, I liked everything that he was… I can't love you, Shin… for I love somebody else. I love this person standing next to me. I've loved him since we were kids," she slowly turned to look at Sasuke and whispered, _"That first time we met… that day, I can't forget… _I **love **_you,_ Sasuke…" she finished off as she looked Sasuke straight in his onyx eyes. She had told him this before, but she wanted to make it clear to him.

Shin was still in shock, his eyes off into a daze, he turned his head away from Sakura, not knowing what to do anymore; he only had one choice left in front of him. He wanted to do this right; he looked back at Sakura and bowed his head, looking directly at the floor.

Sakura looked at him and shook her head, this wasn't what she wanted to happen but she had to do it, "Do you understand now, Shin? Why I can't love you?"

Shin started whispering to himself, _"1…2…3…4…5…" _as he started to laugh.

Sakura and Sasuke looked curiously at him, wondering why the hell he was laughing.

Shin's laugh became harder and firmer as he raised his head up with a broad grin across him face. He looked at her, "…and you took what I said so seriously! I only treat you as a little sister," he took a step forward and put his hand on Sakura's head as he playfully stroke her hair, his laugh never ending, "I was only _joking, _you two. But I really need to go now, thanks for the humor," he finished as he slowly took his hand away from Sakura's soft hair and turned around and started to run away. He just ran and ran. He ran away, went to the farthest thing that would hide him from the park, he leaned against its wall and pinched the bridge of his nose, wiping his tears away.

He turned around and saw the soccer field he once played at, he slowly walked to the middle of it as it started to rain mildly, but after some time, the rain grew harder and harder; he didn't care, he just wanted to stay there, in the middle of the soccer field and dropped down to his knees, looking directly at the ground, _"1…2…3…4…5… in five seconds… in five seconds… I fell," _he whispered to himself as tears flowed down his cheek and mix with the rain. His heart ached but he knew that it was the right thing to do, he had to change the situation to the way it was. He dropped his hands to his side and started punching the soccer field ground as hard as he can endure.

**Chapter Ended.**


	8. Chapter 8

School of St

_Chater 8_

_A Sneak Under My Umbrella_

Sakura looked into Sasuke's black onyx eyes as tears continuously run down her crimson red cheeks, _"Stay with me, Sasuke… I've got nothing left… I really need __**you **__the most this time. I'm nothing now and it's been so long…" _She whispered as she slowly raised her hand and laid it on her chest, feeling her heart beat, _"This heart—this heart of mine… it beats for you—only for you._"

He looked back into her swelling eyes, his face remaining as stoic as possible. He denied it; he can't be falling in love with her. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for some hate, wanting her not to accept him, but he can't find even a single pinch of it, _'No—no. I only think I love her… because… because… she's my __**best friend**__; I can't possibly love her. I can't—it'll only ruin our relationship more… I can't love her. I just can't…' _He thought to himself. He repeated it in his mind again and again, just staring into her tearful eyes as it slowly started to rain, covering them both, tears no longer visible as it mixed with the rain. He slightly moved away from Sakura, taking slow steps; walking backwards.

She noticed that he was slowly moving away from her, she couldn't afford this; it'll just hurt her more. She ignored the pour of the rain on her skin, mixing with her painful tears and pounced forward, trying to reach him and touch his hand, but they both had such stoic expressions. She closed her eyes, not noticing that he did, too.

Sasuke's eyes opened widely as pain surged into his body. He knew that he saw Sakura trying to move closer to him, trying to touch him. He removed his stare from her and closed his eyes just as she did too. He stumbled down the ground on the now wet grass of the park, not seeing the rock he was going into, and fell. The last thing he saw was Sakura's long cherry blossom hair swaying with the wind as she pounced forward towards him. He felt the rain on him, but less. His body felt an amount of weight crush his body to the ground, he opened his eyes in pain, seeing stunned eyes, staring back at him; Sakura was **on top **of him. He could feel the warmth of her body on him; he felt her slender body touching his.

Shin continuously pushed his hands hard on the field ground, his tears mixing with the rain as it fell from his eyes. His body hurt, he doesn't mind. _'Why? How come it only took 5 seconds? How come I have to fall for her in only __**5 seconds**__? Why can't I just tell her how much she means to me? Would I just live with this joke? 5… 5 seconds…' _he repeatedly scolded himself in his mind. He wanted to cry himself to death; he wanted to die at that moment. He started punching harder and harder into the ground causing his knuckles to from scratches on it and blood slowly run out from his skin. He gently looked up, noticing that the hard rain had stopped daggering his body and his daze locked on beautiful hazelnut eyes, staring blankly at him.

He observed her silently; her golden brown hair tied up neatly into ponytails and her face wearing a gleeful smile. Her sweet hazelnut eyes locked on him as it curiously observed his horrid disposition on the field. Her smile grew wider as she raised her hand and laid it on his wet shoulder, not minding the coldness of his clothes.

"Onii-san? Certainly, you have a problem, staying here. Why are you even here? It's raining like hell. You'll just get sick if you just stay here in this kind of weather," the girl quietly muttered as she tightly held onto her umbrella that was now sheltering both of them; her eyes giving out a concerned expression.

Shin forced a smile, though it took a lot of his energy, as he pushed himself up and looked at the little girl who was standing before him and was sheltering him with her umbrella. He leaned down and gave her a natural smile now, and gently scratched her neat hair as he pretended to give her a laugh, "I just… _slipped, _that's all."

She looked at him with a confused face; not satisfied with his answer at all. She observed him thoroughly and frowned, looking into his dark green eyes intently, "…but why were you crying, Onii-san?"

Shin frowned with surprise; this girl seemed different. She noticed that he had been crying… _'How did she know I was crying when it's raining this hard…?' _he equally thought, asking himself as he observed the girl again and gave off a rueful smile, "I just got… really hurt…" he mumbled, thinking that it was true enough. He put his arms around her shoulder, forgetting he was wet and led her to the benches at the side of the field where it was sheltered with a small roof that can support them both.

Silence filled the air as they walked over to the shed. He observed her now intensely, picturing her in his mind. He was reminded of something about her hair and the way she presents herself, _'She… is a lot like __**Yankumi**__…' _he thought as he looked at her skirt moving at the direction of the wind that suppressed them both in an unsteady walk.

They both sat down when they arrived the waiting shed, giving off each other a smile. He sat in a more relaxing manner, looking up at her and grinned; wanted to look at her more and observe her but at some point, he ends up thinking about Sakura and how her perfect long hair sways with this kind of wind, with her eyes that fends off his sadness whenever its relaxing color looked at him and her… _beautiful _smile whenever he looked at her. How can't he stop thinking about her even when he's with another person? This was his only question.

He frowned blankly, staring off at space but was interrupted by the sound of a voice he still can't fully recognize, "Onii-san, is there a problem? Are you still there?"

He shook his head furiously and looked at the girl beside him, "Hmm? I… I—," he tried to start out but was stopped by a distant voice shouting a name; he thought it was Sakura's name that was being shouted but he also thought that maybe it was just his imagination. He couldn't understand, he looked away, looking for the source of the voice.

The girl looked at him and slightly frowned, "Sorry, Onii-san. That was my mother calling me. I need to go now, she'll be so angry," she said, standing up and looking away. He looked at her and gave her a faint smile as she ran away from him, covering her head from the rain with both her hands.

Shin stood up quickly and stared at the girl as she ran away from him, not taking a look back, "Wait! We haven't…" he tried shouting as his voice trailed off noticing that she could no longer hear him. He sat back down on the bench, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stretched his arm touching something lying beside him. He opened his eyes and observed it quite well; it had cherry blossoms petals on it as a design and it's smooth surface that was covered with small drops of rain as they slowly slide off it, _'She forgot her umbrella…'_

**Chapter Ended.**


	9. Chapter 9

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 9_

_Hey There, Are We Okay?_

'_She forgot her umbrella…'_

He took the umbrella in his hands, admiring its obvious beauty. It calmed him; letting him forget everything that was eating him up inside. For once, he felt free again, like nothing else matters around him. This was a new sensation to him― the feeling of being able to let go of everything without hesitance. He held onto the umbrella tighter as he stood up and opened it.

A smile formed across his face as he walked under the umbrella, walking away without any more hard feelings.

Sasuke and Sakura laid there for a moment, just staring into each other's eyes, not looking in any other direction, just back at each other, both awestricken. Sasuke looked into her eyes, not wanting to take them away from her, he just stared straight into her green eyes and then looked away, he can't bear her piercing stare. Sakura looked away too, she was about to push herself up until she felt something pulling her back; the warmth of it coursing through her stone-like body. She looked back at Sasuke with questioning eyes.

'_Can we just… stay like this even for just a moment, Sakura?' _he whispered into her ears as he gently pushed her body back to his. Her head laying on top of his chest, feeling the soft rising of his chest as he breathed.

Her eyes opened widely, hearing the words come out of Sasuke's mouth and his cold breath landing on her skin. She slowly closed her eyes as he pushed her to him, feeling the warmth of his body that was spreading to her. Her thoughts were empty; nothing seemed to occupy her mind. Slowly, pictures from both their pasts swept through her mind, her body suddenly froze as she quickly opened her eyes; lifted her head as she looked up to Sasuke. He was shaking his head furiously, his eyes were closed, it was like he was panicking. She looked at him with confused, tired eyes, there was definitely a problem and she knew it.

'_Sasuke?' _she whispered as she tried to push her hand up to touch his face.

He heard her, but he didn't bother to look at her, to even open his eyes and deny her. He just kept shaking his head, everything felt wrong.

'_Sasuke… What's the problem?' _Sakura whispered once again, she was feeling invisible, like she wasn't even there.

'_No… no… n― no…' _she finally heard Sasuke whisper, _'T― this… can't… be…'_

Sakura looked at him, dropping her hand. She pushed herself up, giving him space. She turned her back from him as she stared at the park, raindrops falling frantically. She was thankful that it was raining… no one can see her tears if she cried.

Sasuke stood up after a few seconds and looked her way, her back in front of him. He stopped shaking his head and moved forward towards Sakura.

Sakura heard his steps from her back, the puddles under him gently splashing away. She copied him and shook her head, she was so confused, _'Sasuke… What's wrong?'_ she whispered, she knew that with the softness of her voice, nobody would be able to hear her.

She slowly felt warm hands wrap around her waist and then her stomach. Sasuke leaned his head on her shoulder, thankful that he was taller than her. He could feel the stiffness of her body as he wrapped his arms around her but didn't mind. He had to do everything to prevent breaking the friendship he wanted back.

'_Sakura…' _he whispered to her ears. He felt her shiver as his breath touched her neck.

Sakura closed her eyes, she could feel herself breaking down inside. She let her hands touch his hands as she felt tears streaming down her cheeks, mixing in with the rain.

'_I― I'm so sorry, Sakura…'_ she heard him whisper in her ear, _'I― I can't… possibly… I c― can't l― love you, Sakura… It'll only ruin our friendship… more,' _he finished off as he slowly removed his arms from her, turned his back and slowly took a steps forward, leaving her there, just staring at nothing as she dropped to her knees and cried in pain, so much pain.

Days passed by unnoticed. Shin was staring at his bed, looking straight at the umbrella the girl left, it still draws him. It gave him some peace and calmness he wanted, but he had to let go, he knew he had to face everything in front of him. _'What can an umbrella do to help me?' _he snickered to himself as he took the umbrella in his hand, feeling more of the peace it gave.

"What's the use? I don't even know her… I should just… _throw _it away," he said to himself as he walked to his trashcan and threw the umbrella in, the peace streaming away from his longing body.

He turned his back to it, avoiding the urge it gave him and walked to his bathroom, wondering if a bath can equally give him the peace he needed.

He clutched the side of the sink in front of him as he stared into his eyes. He had his bath robe on and he was frustrated, the bath didn't gave him anything he needed; it just gave him more time to think about the things that happened― that had left him empty.

He gave off an amused smile, forcing himself to be happy, "Shin…" he called to himself, talking to his reflection, "Why can't Sakura like you? Why?"

He looked at himself, wanting to admire everything he had. He looked like as Sasuke… so why won't Sakura like him? He raised his hand up and tried to count, _'You're handsome, intelligent, even talented… you're almost __**perfect**__, like him… but why won't she like you?' _he thought to himself, comparing him with Sasuke. He figured it out. _Almost. _He was nothing like him; he was only like him physically…

He shook his head, and gave off an uninterested laugh, "Maybe… She likes you… she just can't…" he started off, feeling desperate and at the same time disgusted with himself. What was happening to him? What was _she _doing to him? "What the―? Shin, stop it! You're going insane! Ugh…"

He took his eyes from his reflection and walked out the room, talking the first clothes he saw off his drawer and dressed.

He went down the stairs, "Don't worry, she's not the only girl in the world. She's just not one that isn't foolish enough to like me…" he told himself as he opened the main door and felt a gentle drop of water on his head. He ignored it, but as he took another step out the door, drops of water dropped on him furiously. The rain was growing stronger by the second. He quickly went back in the house and started looking for an umbrella.

'_Shoot! I forgot… I threw my old umbrella…' _he whispered to himself as he realized that he had no more umbrella. He opened his bedroom door; it was the only room he didn't look for his umbrella. He locked his eyes on an umbrella as the door gave him access. It had cherry blossom petals drawn on it as a design. He took it happily, feeling the calmness of it once again spread to his body.

Sakura was walking down the path to the park, hoping it would make her forget like the old days, as she took sight of _him, _she slightly smiled, feeling the happiness he aura always gave her, he was like her heart's medicine, always the reservoir. The smile on her face grew as she started walking towards him.

Shin closed the umbrella as soon as the rain stopped and was silently walking towards the park; he was hoping that somehow, the peace and quiet in the park would make him forget. He took sight of cherry blossom hair, he knew that flow of hair so much, and he knew that that beautiful drop of straight hair belonged to Sakura. There it was again, the emptiness in him. He didn't want to talk to her at that time, he didn't want to break.

He gulped and tried to swallow, but it was like something was preventing him; like there was something blocking is throat. He looked in a different way, pretending he didn't see her, looking for a diversion, then he saw it, he saw a girl walking some meters away from him, he casually walked to her and took her hands in his.

The girl eyes him with a cautioned look, she was like every other girl, seeing that he was good-looking melted her heart, letting him hold her hand tighter. He leaned his head closer to hers and whispered to her ears, _'See that pink-haired girl there?' _the girl almost looked at Sakura, _'No, don't look at her. I know her… and I'm avoiding her. Help me, pretend to be my date and pretend she's not even here,' _he finished as he removed his hand from hers and wrapped it around her waist. The girl nodded as they both walked towards the park.

"Shin!" Sakura shouted as she saw Shin approach the park, his arm wrapped around a girl she didn't know. She suddenly felt a pang of jealousy as she looked at him so happy― or so what she saw.

Shin avoided her, like he didn't even hear anything. He had a smile across his face, pretending he was having a great time with the girl beside him. He just kept walking and walking, pretending she wasn't there, but there, with the corner of his very eyes, he saw it― _her_; the very thing that makes his heart jump and beat faster but also break down every time, _Haruno Sakura_**. **He saw her, standing in front of them.

"Shin? Didn't you hear me? I was hoping if we can have a talk," she muttered as soon as she stopped in front of them, pretending Shin was alone.

Shin gave off a smirk, trying very hard not to let her she the things that were going on in him right at that very moment, the feelings he hid for her, "Sakura, can't you see I'm with someone, having a _date?_" he snorted, emphasizing the word "date". He looked at the girl next to him and gave her a sweet smile, making her smile back at him. It was his irresistible smile, no one can resist it.

Sakura saw it, she knew that he only gave that smile to people he truly liked… he used to give her that. She felt another pang of jealousy as a frown formed on her face. He didn't even looked back at her; it looked to her that he was so inclined to that girl― that she was invisible for a moment.

"Sorry…" he mumbled as she turned her back to them and started walking away.

As soon as Shin saw that Sakura was fairly far from them, he took his eyes off the girl beside him as he released his hold from her and looked away, "Thanks. You can go now."

The girl beside him snorted and walked away in a different direction, feeling used. Shin looked back at Sakura, locking his stare on her back and started walking away.

Shin walked over to the pathway that leads to his house, walking silently and staring just ahead. He wished he wasn't rude enough to that girl that helped him earlier… he knew he wasn't rude to people. He was the friendly type, always with somebody; making them laugh. He shook his head, shaking off the stupid thoughts.

His eyes locked on a pink-haired girl who was leaning on the house's main door, looking up the sky. He slightly smiled and frowned at the same time, it was even like every single thing that happened days before were erased as he looked at her, he was falling more and more in love with her. He observed her radiant beauty, wanting to go near her and keep her in his arms, he observed how her hair swayed to her side, slightly covering her mesmerizing eyes as the wind swept it there, but one thing he couldn't miss about her was the sadness that showed in her eyes, the distant frown that was obvious in it though she was smiling. He crept up to her and slightly looked at her, making her notice him.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked at him and gave him a smile that melted his heart, "I told you I wanted to have a talk with you, so here I am."

Shin looked away, silence filling the air.

"Hey there, are you okay?" was all he could manage to murmur after some time of thinking to himself, he knew that he couldn't just ignore her forever; he had to face her some time.

She looked at him, her eyes seemed to lighten up as they faced one another, she looked at him with remorse, locking her eyes on his and replied sadly, "_**I'm **_okay... but _**we're**_not."

Shin's face darkened, he wanted to deny all of this, even if he knew what she meant, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Shin," was all her reply.

The frown on Shin's face grew. He looked Shin frowned and lead her to the door, "Maybe… we should talk inside."

**Chapter Ended.**


	10. Chapter 10

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 10_

_It Can't Possibly…_

Sakura hesitated for a moment as she saw in Shin's eyes the same sadness she knew he saw in hers, but she knew what she wanted, she wanted to end all of this― she wanted to have a talk with him privately; she had no choice, "Okay."

As they both went inside the dark house, she sat down the couch uninvited; she saw Shin take a glimpse of her and sighed as she did so. She knew something was wrong, they weren't okay.

"Here," Shin mumbled as he handed out a cup of milk to Sakura, drinking from his own cup.

Sakura reached out and took the cup in her hands, slightly touching Shin's. She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile, noticing milk marks on his lips as he sat down on a far off chair. She knew that if they were just okay… then maybe she could laugh at him and wipe off the marks on his lips; they would be comfortable with that but it killed her that they weren't at the moment. Oh, how she wished they were back to the same comfort they both felt for each other.

"So… What did you want to talk about?" whispered Shin, not looking at her, avoiding her eyes as he searched his desk next to the TV.

Sakura knew that Shin was avoiding her daze on him, but she didn't mind, all she wanted and minded at that time was that she knew he was listening to her, to her every word― explanation. She wanted to explain to him as much as he wanted to know; she just knew that they both wanted a settlement, maybe even a compromise, to get everything over with, "Shin? Can I ask you something?"

Shin seemed not to notice her by not stopping on whatever he was searching for but Sakura waited for his answer. It took several minutes before Sakura's message finally sunk in him, and he nodded, "Un."

Sakura looked away, her eyes took sight of a chest, and she locked her eyes on it, observing it. It had beautiful carvings and beads, it seemed antique but remained beautiful; irreplaceable. She stood up, wanting to see what was inside of it, she walked up to it and put her hands on it as she felt it's smooth and glistening cover. Something about it was drawing her closer.

"Don't touch that!" Sakura looked to Shin's direction with surprise, her hand jolting away from the chest. Hey eyes locked on Shin's enraged ones as he pointed to the chest, his arms almost shaking. She stiffened and stood still as Shin approached her and took the chest into his arms, hugging it on his body with longing and protectiveness. She noticed him holding a rusty key in his hands that he had put in the chest's lock; it was what he was looking for. She watched him as the chest swung open slowly.

Melody filled through her ears as the chest swung open widely, it gave off a song so familiar and beautiful, like the humming of a bird. She closed her eyes as pictured flashed through her misty mind.

_**Flashback**_

"_Do you really have to? Will you really be transferring to another school, Sakura?" A dark-haired boy she knew as Ryu whispered to her as they both sat down on their school's park._

_She looked at his dark green orbs and frowned, she knew she was going to miss him so much, leaving him like this; she knew that he can't transfer with her, he was two years older than her and had fully adapted to their school. She can't be selfish to him, "I guess so, that's what my mother told me."_

_Ryu returned her look and smiled, making her feel happier, "Don't worry. There's always the sky to guide us, remember?"_

_She smiled in amazement, how could he smile at her when he knew that they can possibly never see each other again, "What do you mean?"_

"_See that?" He started as he raised his hand and pointed up the sky, "Always look up and when you see a star, brightest of them all, and as if it was blinking at you, remember that when I die, I'll be that star and always blink at you at night, protecting you."_

_Sakura wanted to laugh but forced not to, she looked up to where he was pointing to and grinned, she knew very well that she won't forget him. He looked at her and smiled as he took her hand and pulled her towards their classrooms._

_He gave her a soft smile at her as he took a chest out from his bag and slowly opened it with a glowing key, and a sweet and soothing melody filled the air, it was so beautiful to listen to, Sakura knew she can't get tired of it. She closed her eyes as she hummed with the melody, finally memorizing it at its second play. She opened her eyes once again and gave Ryu a weak smile._

"_Sakura, put your most valuable thing in this chest," he mumbled as he took out a bandage out from his pocket and put it in the chest, whispering, 'For you words, Onee-san, that everything can be healed with a simple smile,' and handed the chest over to Sakura. She realized what he was doing; a remembrance― a connection for both of them._

_She hesitated for a few seconds but slowly took a small teddy bear out of her pocket, she reached out and put it in the chest, copying what Ryu did and whispered, 'For you, Dad, for saying that everyone has their own priorities and value.'_

_She looked at Ryu and saw that he had a broad smile on his fair face, "We'll bury it at the school park and maybe― maybe someday when we meet again, we'll bury it out again."_

_Sakura nodded with agreement and walked right beside him, taking his hand in hers as they made their way towards their school's park once again. They both kneeled as they reached the center, under the shade of the big cherry blossom tree, and Ryu started digging until it was deep enough for the chest._

_Sakura held his hand tighter as they both looked at the chest for the last time, both whispering, 'For all the memories.'_

_As they finished covering the hole with mud again, they took several stoned and had put it around the hole. They stood up with smiled on their dirty faces and admired what they had done, knowing even if they're far from one another, there were things that connected both of the, drawing them together._

"_Goodbye, Ryu."_

_He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug, his last one, "Goodbye, Sakura."_

_**End of Flashback**_

Sakura opened her eyes once again as the music stopped playing; Shin had closed it. She looked at Shin with astonished eyes, _'Ryu… It can't be possible…' _she thought as she tried to observe Shin's features; the same dark green eyes, the same dark hair, the same sweet, melting _smile_.

"Shin… A― are you p― possibly…" she trailed off.

Shin looked at her as he caressed the box in his arms for the last time and laid it gently on his desk as he looked back at Sakura who was now staring straight at him, "What?"

A tear flowed own Sakura's cheek as she struggled to move an inch closer to where Shin was, "S― Shin… p― possibly… R― Ryu…"

Shin's eyes opened widely as he heard Sakura stutter on a name he wasn't called in so many years, he looked at her with the same curiousness she had in hers earlier and muttered under his breath, _'Sakura… No, it can't possible…' _he looked at her and observed her quickly; the same girl from the past flashing through his mind.

"Wha― What did you say?" was all he could afford to say.

"Shin… Are you? R― Ryu?"

His closed his eyes, that was why, that was why he was so drawn to her. He was right; she was the girl he knew before, Sakura, the girl he met when he was still six years of age, the girl he made friends with. She's the one he was hoping to meet for years now, "Sakura? Are you…?"

Sakura raised her head up and ran towards him, taking him in her arms as tears continuously flowed down her cheeks, she was amazingly happy. It was him, the person she was truly looking forward to all of these years.

"You are! You are Ryu!" she repeatedly mumbled.

Shin wrapped his arms around her, too, returning her happiness. They stood there for a moment, waiting for something to possibly happen, as minutes passed by, they didn't mind, they _found _one another.

Sakura removed her grasp from his as she sat back down his couch, still awestricken, _'Thank God, I found you, Ryu…' _she thought as she stared straight ahead on nothing, wiping her tears away.

Shin looked the other way and took the chest in his hands as he sat beside Sakura, handing it to her, like an innocent child, "Here, Sakura, you can take it."

Everything was revolting― unexpected. Sakura looked at him and took the chest, gripping it harder and harder as she drew it closer and closer to her; her heart throbbed with excitement and familiarity, wanting to let memories flow to her mind. She opened it widely as the sweet and peaceful melody rose up again in mid air, relaxing the tensed emotion in both of them.

A tear flowed down her cheeks as she locked her eyes on a teddy bear; it was what connected her to Shin. It had what seemed like a pale colored jumpsuit stitched onto it, she silently raised her hand and touched it, as if it was too fragile. She lifted it up and pulled it near her heart and hugged it gently, _'Dad…' _she whispered.

For a few minutes she just sat there, frozen, caressing the bear in her hands, but she had to let it go some time, she held it away from her and delicately lowered it to the chest, laying it next the bandage Ryu had left there. A smile formed across her face, "Look, Shin, your bandage…"

Shin moved closer to her, looking at where she was, too. He took sight of his old bandage that was given to him by his older sister, he smiled and unexpectedly hugged Sakura as a tear fell down his cheek, he was thankful, so thankful that they found each other again, _'I'm so glad I've found you, Sakura…' _he whispered to her ears.

**Chapter Ended.**


	11. Chapter 11

I Love My Best Friend

_Chapter 11_

_Chronicles of My Life_

'_We were destined to meet again, Shin…' _Sakura replied as she wrapped her arms around her, hugging him back. They both stayed there in that position as time slowly passed by.

'_I was right to have fallen in love with her, to be drawn to her,' _Shin though to himself as he removed his tight grasp from her and looked in another way, he knew that all he can't say now was the fact that he loves her for he knew that he started pretending not to, though it hurts him so much, he had to keep it to himself.

'_Maybe… Just maybe, he would be the way for me and Sasuke to resolve this, like Ryu… he always had answers,' _Sakura though to herself as she removed her grasp from him, too, and looked in another way, she knew that he treats her as a sister and that he would be open to her no matter what, especially now when they knew they had a connection, that whatever she'd saw, he would understand. All she needed now was the courage to tell him her story, to complete it.

"So… Sakura, tell me a story," Shin muttered, as if reading her thoughts but also wanting to know everything about Sakura since they parted, to know the whole story, _wanting to be __**part **__of the story; _to know what it was like to tell your story to someone you haven't seen for years.

Sakura looked into Shin's eyes and sat in a more relaxing manner, this was going to be a long talk, she knew it. She was hesitant at first, picking her words, "You see, ever since we parted, I've met a lot of people, those who I called my _best friend, _but everyone ended up leaving me, but I was too young to say so, they weren't really close to me as my family, it resulted to numb me slowly. I was just a little kid, looking for people who helped everyday pass, with jokes, dun and homework. As I see it now, they were really only my _acquaintances, _nobody really knew who I was and what I felt; life keeps passing through, and not most of us know it.

"Until that day; I told you once, I wished I lived somewhere else, somewhere like England, I just knew that I don't belong here in Japan, everyone was just perfect, and I was just… _imperfect._ I wanted to go somewhere else that I thought would accept me, somewhere where I can fully adapt to the people and love the place, be free, but that was impossible, I just knew it was.

"I thought I was miserable, like nobody really likes and cares for me until I met… _him, _the only person I cared for the most, _Uchiha Sasuke…" _Sakura stopped, thinking of him, his looks, his smile, his face, his onyx eyes, she just had to stop, recompose herself, she was too concentrated on herself, she didn't notice Shin flinched as he heard his name from her, his heart just bursts into tears knowing that the girl he loves, loves somebody else.

'_Your whole life was really revolving around him, Sakura? Always him…' _he whispered quietly enough that Sakura wasn't able to hear him. He looked at her and hid his pain, as she looked back up at him.

She recomposed herself, continuing, "…_Sasuke, _when I met him, I just thought that I was lucky enough to meet someone who lived in England, but I knew that he first thought about me, that I was just like any other girl, _irritating _ones, that he was unlucky to have met someone like me and be stuck with me for a whole school year. I knew I irritated him with my reactions and expressions but he still kept on befriending me.

"You see, our sensei assigned me to take good care of him, to help him learn Japanese, just because he was new at school and he needed help. I had to teach him somehow, someway.

"Eventually, we became good friends, I taught him how to speak fluent Japanese, I taught him other things too, things he wasn't aware about, and in exchange he told me interesting things about England, where he lived before, what was life there. We had _so _many things in common, like we were really meant to be best friends. I didn't really know how or why we became best friends but it seemed okay for both of us, it seemed fine that we _were _best friends.

"Everything was going fine, same as always, we became family friends, always together, his mother knew me and he knew my parents. We seemed so happy together but as time passed by, we slowly drifted apart, things got so heated up, we changed, but I needed to accept change, right? We both knew that we couldn't avoid that… I hoped things would change for the better but it didn't, we started fighting and avoiding each other, I gained some new friends, he did too. We had our own groups then, we seemed o ignore each other ever since, like the other doesn't exist; only pretending to other people that we were okay, but only the two of us really knew that we weren't.

"We were always shouting, gloating and glaring at one another, but still, as I said, we pretended to be best friends in front of other people, as if saying that other people needn't know what was happening with us, that this was our problem, not theirs. We both knew that we can never make things work out again. Every time we had a fight, it hurts like hell, it makes me cry, and I just didn't want our friendship to be ruined… It was really the friendship I had hoped for, a _true _friendship since you and I separated but then… I started to realize that there wasn't really a _true friendship; _that everyone will eventually leave you behind, like they didn't even know you. There was no true friendship; I've been hurt so much from it… Everyone will turn out betraying and backstabbing you at some point…" Sakura stopped, forcing herself not to cry. She's been experiencing so much hurt, pain and betrayal from everyone she knew, even Shin.

Shin looked at her with in tensed eyes, flowing with anxiety and anger at the same time. He knew that he, too, had hurt her so much but he also wanted to know who had hurt her this much, he wanted to fight for her, to protect her, but he can't, he seemed to know that she had her own way of living, of fighting for herself. He eased slowly as she looked at him; he felt his anger ebb away.

"…We eventually started to pretend not knowing one another and the transfer to another school helped. He seemed to have other best friends, and he seemed happy with them, I pretended not to care, but inside… I really did, I felt pangs of jealousy flowing inside of me. I felt him drifting away from my life… Yes, we had fun together but fun things don't last long enough, it seems. And I saw it in his eyes, when he was with his _other _best friends, happiness that passed mine; I even feel a pang of pain inflicted to my heart every time I saw him with other people who gave him enough happiness that numbed him about me, about our relationship. I felt I needed to make him happy, but I knew I can't.

"Every time we fight, every night, I cried, keeping all the hurt I feel from other people surrounding me, I knew they won't accept me if they knew I was weak inside, emotionally, that I can get hurt easily from a simple fact. A fact I can't get over with easily… and slowly I started to realize what I really felt… I started to know what it was life… What it was like to get hurt so badly you wanted to die from someone you didn't even expect to be in your life… What it feels to…" Sakura's soft voice faded slowly as she looked for a way to say what she really wanted to tell him― what she really meant. She looked away from Shin as tears choke on her eyes and flow down her cheek.

Shin looked straightly at her and slowly raised his hands and touched her cheek, wiping the tears away, "What it feels to _love?_ Is that what you mean, Sakura?" he asked her, continuing her unfinished sentence. He knew it very well, what Sakura was feeling because at some point, he was feeling the same, for _her._

Sakura looked back at him, appalled and ashamed, and slightly nodded, "…I felt what it feels like, to be hurt badly and never have courage to say no, and there it was… we just got separated from one another, like we had no connection, like we didn't care for one another at some point. I never had the courage to tell him what I really feel; we always ended up hurting one another… I always thought he hates me, loathes me… And now, I don't know what to do, you're the only person who gives me strength, Shin. The only person who can relate to me…" she finished as she looked another way, ashamed to look into Shin's eyes, she felt regret, hate and even happiness at the same time.

Shin looked at her with his eyes slowly locking onto hers as she patiently returned her look at him. He raised his hands and cupped both her cheeks in them as he persuasively tried to push Sakura not to look in another way as he leaned closer to her and hugged her, letting his head rest on her soft shoulder, _'I'm always here, Sakura…'_

She smiled, she knew that he accepted her, _'I know, Shin.'_

He smiled back, now maybe, he had some courage in him, "Sakura… I―"

―_knock. Knock._

**Chapter Ended.**


	12. Chapter 12

School of St

_Chapter 12_

_Sakura Sake_

―_knock. Knock._

Both Shin and Sakura turned to look at the door, Sakura held onto Shin's hand, feeling the familiarity of the aura but he let go and slowly stood up, walking towards the door. He slowly opened the door and took sight of onyx eyes searching for someone in the house as some strands of raven hair cover them. He locked his eyes onto a person he still hated, _Uchiha Sasuke. _He wondered what he was doing here, at his house, and how he came to know where he lives.

'_What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?' _Shin whispered to him, he didn't want Sakura to know who was at the door. He knew how much pain she was in.

"I asked some people around, connections. I was hoping we could have a talk," Sakura heard a familiar voice say to Shin as she tried to look herself, curious who was at the door, but Shin's back was covering the doorway, he definitely didn't want her to know who was it.

Sasuke raised his hand and pushed the door in front of him to open widely, removing his hands from his pockets, his eyes locked with a pair of relaxing green ones, noticing that Sakura was sitting on the couch, looking straight at him. He lowered his eyes, as if he regretted looking at her, something on his face gave a way to Sakura that something was entirely wrong, and she knew what. He looked back at Shin with a frown across his face, "Y― You seem _busy, _maybe I should just… _leave._"

Sasuke took a step backward and slowly turned his back from Shin and started to walk away until he felt a firm grip on his wrist to stop him. He turned to look at furious dark green eyes piercing through him, "Maybe you should _stay,_" Shin insisted.

"What?" he snorted.

"You _should _stay, Sasuke," was all Shin replied as he removed his hand from Sasuke's wrist and turned towards the door.

Sakura stared at the door, waiting for Shin; she was desperately hoping that Sasuke wasn't there anymore, that Shin would've asked him to leave, but to her dismay, Shin and Sasuke entered the room together and walked towards her. She saw Sasuke looked at her for a split second and looked away as he sat down at the opposite end of the couch.

Shin gave off a desperate sigh and looked at both of them, standing up, "Look, I'll got some drinks, and before I return both of you should decide talking with each other before someone decides to cut both your tongues out."

'_Sigh… He always has a way to make things work out, now, does he?' _Sakura quietly thought as she gazed upon Shin's back as he left the room and went in the kitchen.

Shin walked past both of them and lingered in the kitchen, standing by the door, silently listening to Sasuke and Sakura, he wanted everything of this finished, worked out, but he didn't know that it would happen this fast, like an unexpected turn of events that led to an "happily-ever-after" after all. His heart pained as he saw them sitting there, on _his _couch, in _his _house. He leaned on the kitchen wall, nearest to the living room, he didn't want to miss one word, he wanted to listen, though he knew very well the he didn't want to hear the words that make him feel weaker, feel defenseless.

'_Why are you here, Sasuke?' _Sakura silently whispered to the raven-haired guy beside him, not wanting Shin to hear their conversation, but what she didn't know, he could hear her, even in her weakest whisper.

Sasuke looked at the girl beside her, she was still looking at another direction, obviously avoiding his eyes, he wanted Shin to hear everything; he wanted both of them to know how he felt, "Right back at you."

Sakura shrugged as she turned to look at him, undoubtedly surprised at what he had said to her, _'What the hell is _your _problem, Sasuke?'_

Sasuke returned her frustrated look, he could see from her eyes that she'd been crying, he wanted to tease her, he wanted to let her know how he really felt, how he realized that there was something more to life than friendship, but he just can't, he'd left her hanging on to him for as long as he could remember, "_You _are."

'_What do you mean _I'm _your problem?'_

He smirked at her, it just comes natural for him, "I'm your _boyfriend, _right?"

Sakura almost felt hysterical, she glared at him and was getting to the point of slapping him at the face but she forced not to, she would just make a stupid scene, a scene she didn't like Shin to witness or even hear, she just knew that he'd come running in worrying about her, _'You are definitely _not_!'_

_This was it. _Sasuke looked away and started snickering a little, this was it, he had the chance to tease her, and he looked back at Sakura, fighting off laughter as he gave her a broad smile, "Yes, I am Don't forget you agreed."

'_We were only_ **pretending, **_Sasuke,' _Sakura snorted, not aware that she had shouted the word "pretending" out loud. With worry, she looked at the direction of the kitchen, hoping Shin wasn't able to hear anything, but he did. He heard everything. A weak smile tried to form across his face; it wasn't true after all.

Sasuke gave off a mocking laugh, obviously amused of the flaring expression on Sakura's flushed cheeks. He looked at her and started smirking; he seemed to return to his old self, the cold and mocking person everybody knew, "…_but _I knew you **liked **it!"

Sakura's cheeks flushed, she could feel it burning. She looked away, ashamed. She could feel her heart beating harder and faster as seconds quickly passed by.

"What Sakura? Already admitting _defeat?_" She heard Sasuke tease her more; she knew this, his teasing. She turned to look back at him with furious eyes, her face still crimson red.

'_Wha—'_

—_**BLAG.**_

Both of them looked to the direction of the kitchen, hearing something crash on the floor. They both got worried as they clutched onto the soft surface of the couch, "Shin! Is there a problem? What's taking you so long with the drinks?" they shouted in unison.

In panic, Shin shifted and stared at his refrigerator, taking seconds before opening it and took anything his hands first settled on, he could feel drops of sweat running down his neck.

Both Sakura and Sasuke were looking straight at him as he went out the kitchen, he took out his hands and showed them the bottle in it. They all looked at it, their eyes widened, "**Sake!?" **they all shouted in unison.

'_Shoot! Why did I bring Sake out?' _Shin scolded himself in his mind, the sweat on his neck now increasing as he panicked and stared at the Sake in his hand, "Huh? Sakura, when did I ever have Sake in my fridge?" he asked Sakura, dumbfounded.

Sakura returned his confused look and shook her head, "How the hell would I know? Shin! We can't drink that! Go find something else!"

'_And leave you here with him for a longer time? I don't think so,' _he commented Sakura's orders. He gave them a nervous laugh and sat down in between them on the couch, looking at Sakura then Sasuke, scratching his head playfully with his free hand, "Now, don't be too picky! Let's just drink this. Besides, it's Friday, we're free for tomorrow," he said, "Maybe both of you can stay for the night! Let's watch some movies, the three of us."

Awkward silence filled the air as the three of them continued to stare at the TV, all hugging pillows excitedly. The air around them felt so heavy and awkward that Sakura felt uneasy, she was with Shin, so why were they quiet? Was it because Sasuke was with them? It seemed so unusual for Shin to be this quiet, and she knew that she couldn't bear talking to Sasuke for even a second, she leaned slowly to look at Shin who was gulping and gulping Sake in his mouth, while both Sasuke and she was drinking slowly, tasking the Sake gratefully. She stared at Shin, anxiety filling her body.

She raised her head and stared at Shin. Maybe this is what happens to people who drink too much, they just become the opposite of who they truly were, showing what they really felt inside. She felt so worried about him now, watching him like this.

She lifted her hand and let it slide on Shin's shoulder; he looked up at her and gave her a sarcastic smile. He slowly leaned closer to her and laughed foolishly, the smell of the Sake filling the air with his every loud breath. _'He's really drunk…' _Sakura thought to herself.

"Shin, you're wasted, stop drinking Sake," she whispered to him as she took the bottle of Sake from Shin's hand. He leaned on her, his head on her shoulder as he struggled and reached for the Sake. She looked at him with pitiful eyes, as she was about to stand up when Shin dove at her, pushing her to lie on the cold, hard floor. He wanted to kiss her so badly, and the Sake only helped with his lust. Sakura closed her eyes, panicking. Time passed by but she felt nothing but weight pushing on her, too much weight. She slowly opened her eyes with caution to see Sasuke's right cheek just inches away from her face. She crawled away, observing the whole scenario.

Her eyes opened widely, processing the whole thing. She was in total shock as her mind pictured Shin's lips on Sasuke's left cheek. _Shin was kissing Sasuke. _Sakura looked away, the embarrassment all hers. She pretended that she didn't see anything.

—_**CRASH.**_

**Chapter Ended.**


	13. Chapter 13

School of St

_Chapter 13_

_Can We Meet?_

—_**CRASH.**_

In great surprise, Sakura looked for where the crash had come from and as she turned around, her eyes locked on Shin who was lying flat on the floor, his hand holding onto his face in pain, his eyes were slowly closing and across from him was Sasuke, standing up, walking towards her and mumbling words under his breath, _'Don't get drunk if you can't take the damn effects.' _She stared at Shin with worry, she looked up as she felt Sasuke get a grip on her wrist and pulled her out of the house, pulling her away from Shin.

Sasuke's grip loosened as they got far away from the house. He looked into her green orbs and formed a smile across his face. He started to laugh, staring into Sakura's confused eyes. He took a step forward and cupped Sakura's face with both his hands, their lips just inches away from one another, their eyes locked, _'You're mine, Sakura. Only _mine.'

Sakura's eyes widely opened as she felt Sasuke's warm breath on her face. She saw him form a smirk as he pulled her face closer to his, "Now… I admit his lips were _soft…" _he whispered, giving shivers to Sakura's cold body, _'Let's see if _yours _are softer,' _he added softly as he leaned forward, letting his lips meet with hers. They both knew that they had kissed each other before, both their first kisses, but that was different, that was for show… this was for _real._

Sakura's eyes were still opened widely as she saw Sasuke close his. This made her relax, and slowly, she closed her eyes, too. It felt as though the wind lifted both of them in air, in that position, their second _kiss, _and by some seconds, Sakura didn't notice that she was already kissing him back.

Sakura could feel Sasuke's lips form into a smirk as he slowly opened his eyes and pulled away from her. He smiled and leaned his forehead to hers, _'Now, tell me, Sakura. Am I just a friend?' _he whispered teasingly to her as he saw her looking straight at him with confused eyes.

'_Sasuke?' _she whispered back.

'_Tell me, Sakura. Answer my question,' _he replied as he let his arms wrap around Sakura's waist, his smile growing.

'_Sasuke? Am I just dreaming?' _Sakura whispered regretfully as she looked away.

Sasuke gave off a soft laugh and removed one of his hands from her waist and touched her cheek softly, _'You're definitely not, Sakura…'_

"Sasuke-sama, your mother is waiting for you."

"Of course. Thank you," replied the dark-haired guy as he slowly approached his mother's office door.

—_Knock. Knock._

"Come in, Sasuke."

He slowly opened the door, taking sight of dark eyes looking straightly at him, obviously waiting for him to approach her. He observed her well; she was wearing the same office clothes she always wore. It had so many laces that it irritated him, but he couldn't defy his mother, she had too much power to make him suffer and lose this easy life.

"Sit down," ordered his mother.

Sasuke didn't look down. He didn't even look for a chair with his eyes; he had memorized this room ever since they got here. He sat down on the chair nearest his mom. He looked back at her with the same determined eyes as hers. Their locked gaze seemed to last for seconds, they just sat there and stared at one another.

"What can I do for you, Okasa?" asked Sasuke, he wasn't letting this conversation go too long.

"I want you to continue your studies in Europe once again, Sasuke."

Sasuke opened his eyes widely with shock; it was like he could go ballistic. What his mother wanted him to do was one thing he cannot fathom and approve of. He was satisfied with his life here in Japan, finally being able to live the life he wanted; he especially didn't adore the idea of leaving. He almost stood up with rage, his eyes were turning red, his hand clenching into a fist, but he calmed down, he knew his mother too well; he knew that anger won't help him in convincing his mother otherwise, he needed reasoning.

"But why, Okasa? Is there a need to?" he asked, forcing his temper to ebb away.

"There is no need. You will do it because I told you so, Sasuke. Japan isn't like what it used to be. You will not succeed here with that attitude of yours. Japan is for industrious and hard-working people, and _you, _you are much too arrogant for this country."

"B— but Mother, how about reconsidering this? What will happen to me? My friends? _Sakura?"_ he reasoned out, he was getting weaker, and he knew this.

"My decision is final. Besides, you have several friends in England. And as for Sakura… I know that she's your best friend, honey, you can always go visit her. Or vise versa."

Sasuke stood up in anger, he just couldn't keep it anymore, this was too much a request for him to agree with. He knew his mother, even if she let Sakura visit him, it would just be for a few weeks, maybe just a few days.

"I will _definitely __**not **_leave Japan, Mother! You're going too far," he shouted at her.

His mother sat up straight and looked him in the eye, she had already planned all of this, he had no choice but to comprehend. She didn't fear his dreadful gaze to her, it was always what he did when he was angry with her, that stupid gaze, "You _will, _Sasuke. Oh, you will."

"I won't, Okasa! Over my dead body! No matter how many times you persuade and order me to, I just **won't!**" the furious guy snorted as he turned around and started walking away from his mother.

"Sasuke, I'm only giving you two choices: to study in Europe or marry a daughter of my colleagues here in Japan," his mother muttered, standing up and waiting for her son to walk up to her, "Freedom in Europe or trapped in Japan. Your choice, Sasuke."

'_Why is she doing this to me?' _Sasuke thought, giving in. He stopped his pace and lowered his head to stare at the floor, _'Okasa…' _he whispered under his breath as he turned around and started to approach his mother once again.

"When am I leaving?"

His mother gave him a winning smile, "In a week."

Sasuke sighed, looking at his mother and nodded, "Do you need anything else, Okasa?"

"No," his mother shook her head and gestured for him to leave, "Go on now, I want to be… _alone." _

Sasuke turned around and achingly walked away from his mother and went out of her office, almost slamming the door behind him.

"Is everything okay, Sasuke-sama?"

"**Don't dare touch me!" **Sasuke shouted as he pushed away the hand of their butler and stormed to his room.

"You're so happy, Sakura. What's up?" Sakura read from Hinata's IM as she stared onto her computer's monitor, smiling to herself.

'_It's a secret.' _she quietly typed back.

"Okay, Sakura…" Sakura stared at her monitor; she had such a gleeful face on her. She could feel so much happiness filling and pulsing in her body. Her eyes were glowing with joy and her face was blooming than ever, _'I'm just… happy,' _she replied.

Sasuke stood up and looked for his mobile phone as soon as he felt his fury ebb away. The only thing that mattered now was Sakura; to make the most of his time with her before he leaves, but he won't tell her anything, he didn't want to hurt her more just when everything became clearer to both of them, he didn't want her to feel left like what he made her feel a long time ago. He loved her— that is what matters the most for him at his moment.

He lifted his phone and dialed some numbers with so much pressure.

—_Ring. Ring._

"Hey, can we meet?"

**Chapter Ended.**


	14. Chapter 14

School of St

_Chapter 14_

_I'm… Giving her up_

"Can we meet?"

"Sasuke, is that you?" a confused voice answered.

"Yes."

"Hmm, why are you calling?"

Sasuke sighed, "I already told you, can we meet?" he replied with irritation in his voice.

"Oh! Yeah, sure, when and where?"

"Tomorrow, after lunch. I'll just drop by your place," Sasuke quickly answered, hanging up the phone.

Shin stood up from his couch, his body going tenser as seconds pass, he was ashamed for what he had done to both Sakura and… _Sasuke_. He never thought that Sasuke would ever talk to him ever again as long as he's alive. His hands were quivering with nervousness, his cheek and lip still hurts from Sasuke's horrible punch but he knew that he deserved it. He looked out his window as he saw a Porsche slowly turned to park out his house. He hurried over to his door and waited for somebody to knock.

—_Knock. Knock._

He could hear his heart thump louder and louder as he slowly opened the door. He came face to face with a dark-haired guy, with blank onyx eyes staring at him. He returned his guest's stare at him. Slowly, he caught sight of a smile forming on Sasuke's face.

'_He's… smiling?' _Shin quietly thought as he continued to stare at Sasuke's dark onyx eyes.

"Shin?" he raised his hand and waved it in front of my face, "Aren't you going to let me in?" Sasuke retorted, breaking the silence.

"Oh, yeah!" Shin snorted, shaking his head, "Sorry," he added as he opened the door widely, letting Sasuke in.

He followed the tall guy into his living room, eyeing him as he sat down on his couch, uninvited.

"Okay. _Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,_" Shin sarcastically whispered as he sat down beside Sasuke. He turned around and looked at the raven-haired guy sitting across from him on the couch. He could see his frustrated look in his eyes, something was very wrong; he could feel it piercing through his body from Sasuke's stare.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," Sasuke replied, his thoughts interrupted by Shin's rushed words. He turned his stare from a musical antique to Shin. He remembered something about that box, he could vividly remember Sakura once telling him something about an old friend of hers… she explained so clearly how the antique would be, and it bothered him that that musical box laying before him looked exactly the same from Sakura's words. He shook his head, remembering what he was in Shin's house for.

"I just… wanted to tell you something, that's all."

"What's it about?" _'Is it something about last night?' _Shin added in his thoughts as he pictured what had happened last night and felt a flinch flicker on his face.

Sasuke looked at Shin, his smile obviously fading as quick as it showed up. His eyes showed great frustration but he was serious, Shin could tell, "…it's something about Sakura."

Shin let his eyes open widely as he heard Sasuke mention Sakura's name, "Sakura? Is she… _in trouble?"_

"Yes, no," Sasuke answered as he stood up and approached Shin. He slowly kept his hands in his pockets but took out his left hand and pulled Shin to a stand. Shin could see the pain in his onyx eyes, the pain he didn't even think Sasuke could feel. Sasuke took Shin's right hand and placed something in it, _'I'm giving her up, Shin. Take good care of Sakura, for me.'_

Shin felt his eyes opening wider as Sasuke closed his hand into a fist, making him touch something smooth and soft. He stared at Sasuke as he turned around and started walking away. _'Take good care of… Sakura?' _he thought as he opened his hand and saw a handkerchief with Sasuke's name imprinted on it.

He looked up and saw Sasuke stopping in front of the door, God knows why, "Wait! What the hell do you mean, "take care of Sakura"?"

Sasuke turned around and gave Shin a weak smile as he waved goodbye, "Just… do what I told you."

"**Sakura!" **Sakura heard a familiar voice shout for her as she stood up and slung her bag on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Shin running to her, waving at her. She gave him a weak smile as she stopped and held her bag on her shoulder lightly. Shin smiled back at her and gasped for breath as he bent in front of her.

"I'm sorry about… last Friday, Sakura," he breathed out as he gently stood up, observing Sakura.

Sakura shook her head and smiled, "That was nothing, Shin, forget about it."

Shin nodded and moved forward, "So…"

"So what?"

"What's up with _your _Sasuke?" he asked her curiously as he gestured toward her bag.

She shook her head sheepishly, her eyes showing her curiosity by what he had asked her, "Sasuke? What's with him? Huh? What do you mean, Shin?"

'_What? She doesn't know?' _Shin sighed and shook his head as he moved forward and waved her a goodbye.

Sakura stared at his back as he walked away from her. What could he mean? She gave off a sigh as she took a step forward, losing sight of Shin. The last thing she saw was Shin putting on what seemed like a bandana, she shivered. Something inside her stirred as she saw the bandana on Shin's neck, but she paid no attention and walked towards the school gate. Her eyes fixed on a familiar Porsche parked right outside their school, _"UCH1HA" _she quietly read in her mind, eyeing the plate number.

"Sasuke…?" she asked out loud as she approached the tinted Porsche. She walked to it cautiously as she tried to look in the window. It surprised her as the window she was looking into automatically pulled down. She came face to face with a raven-haired guy who was staring into her green eyes, smiling at her.

"Hop in," he retorted as he stretched out his hand and opened the car door to let Sakura in.

Sakura raised her hand and laid it on the car door's end as she eyed him curiously, "What's up? Why the trouble?"

He looked at her impatiently and smirked, "Nothing?"

Sakura sighed, "Nothing, Sasuke? I won't… get in the car unless you tell me a good reason."

He laughed, "I just miss you?" he tried, playing with her.

She eyed him, sitting down, "Okay."

**Chapter Ended.**


	15. Chapter 15

School of St

_Chapter 15_

_Hold Me Close and Never Let Go_

"Okay."

Sakura stared out the window as they slowly pulled into the parking lot of the nearest mall. She heard the car door across from her clicked to a close as she looked and saw Sasuke outside, waiting for her. She went out the car and started to walk away from Sasuke towards the mall. Sasuke looked at her as he tried to observe her quietly, he smiled as he saw her long pink hair and how it gracefully dropped to the back of her neck, her eyes reflecting the sunlight, and how her beautiful body swayed as she was walking; it seemed to him like she was dancing so gracefully. _Why hadn't he seen this before? _

"Earth to Sasuke! Are you still there?" the pink-haired girl interrupted his train of thought as she stopped her pace and waved her hand frantically to him as she realized that he wasn't walking with her.

Sasuke shrugged and looked into her green orbs for a while and then ran towards her, smiling, "Of course, I'm here. Can't you see this perfectly sexy body?" he gestured his physique as he gave her a faint laugh, "Can't help me being far, eh?" he teased as he wrapped his arm around his best friend's shoulder.

Sakura stopped, forcing Sasuke to stop with her as she eyes Sasuke's arm around her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"What's that?" she asked him, letting her stare pierce through her best friend's arm, hoping her glare would cut it off.

Sasuke laughed as he raised his free hand and pinched Sakura's nose, "It's my arm, silly!"

"I know, Sasuke, what I meant was… what're you doing wrapping that _arm _of yours around _my _shoulder?" She sighed as she took Sasuke's arm off her shoulder, "People might think different."

Sasuke laughed harder, "You're afraid of that, Sakura? Am I teasing you too much?" he pinched Sakura's already flushed cheeks, "_I _don't mind people thinking we're going out, we're a perfect match, anyway."

Sakura felt so embarrassed as she felt her cheeks burn, "Ugh. What're you talking about, Sasuke? Just, come on and let's get something to eat!" she reasoned out, changing the subject as she went on forward, covering her crimson cheeks.

Sasuke smiled as he hid his hands in his pockets and slowly followed his best friend in the mall.

They both sat down on the orange chair right outside the ice cream parlor as Sakura took a spoonful of chocolate ice cream in her mouth. She smiled, feeling the coldness of the ice cream mix in with her body temperature. She looked up and saw dark onyx eyes staring happily at her. Sasuke looked so happy, she wondered why. She smiled back at him and swallowed the cool dessert as she took another spoonful and raised it up to Sasuke's mouth level.

"Try this," she persuaded as she pushed the dessert filled spoon to Sasuke's soft lips.

Sasuke opened his mouth, not taking his eyes of Sakura's heart-melting green ones and swallowed the ice cream, giving her a soft sweet smile. He just sat there happily, staring at Sakura's face, letting no seconds pass by; he didn't want to miss anything.

Sakura stared blankly at him as he swallowed the ice cream. She smiled sheepishly, she wished that everyday would just be like this day; peaceful and relaxing, especially that she's with the one person she loves.

She stopped slopping down spoonfuls of ice cream as she looked up at Sasuke, who was staring at her. Her cheeks started to burn once again, she was flushing in front of Sasuke, but she didn't mind this anymore, she was used to Sasuke's laughing by it.

"Is there something on my face? You're not telling me are you?" she retorted as she snorted out a laugh. Sasuke gave her an amused smile, "Stop humoring yourself, Sasuke, and tell me where."

Sasuke retained his amused smile as he took a piece of tissue and leaned closer to Sakura, wiping some chocolate smudges on her cheeks.

Sakura laughed harder as she shoved Sasuke's hand off her face and took the tissue paper in his hand, and as their hands touched, a flow of electricity flowed up both of their bodies. She released, her laugh slowly fading as she continued to wide some chocolate from her lips, feeling her cheeks burn more, "You should've just told me, you know."

Sasuke suddenly stood up and took her hand, making her stand up beside him. He started pulling her away from the ice cream parlor, "I want to go watch a movie."

"Two tickets, please," Sasuke muttered as he reached out for the cinemas' tickets and placed it in his pocket. Sakura could see the girl working for the cinema slightly blush as Sasuke's hand touched hers and she smiled amused, looking at her best friend and how he could easily charm. She could feel his soft hand holding hers so tightly but still caringly as he walked her to the popcorn machines and bought a jumbo pack and two cups of Sprite. _'Sprite?' _she wondered to herself, thinking why her best friend ordered her favorite drink while his was _Coke._

They sat down together, Sakura gazing at her best friend with amazed eyes, he was so happy, she never saw him like this before; this happy. She looked at her hand and realized that Sasuke's soft, firm ones were still entwined with hers so tightly. She tried to remove it but he was holding onto hers so tightly that she gave up in just a matter of seconds and decided to concentrate on the movie instead.

At some times, they both would laugh at the funny parts of the movie but no one can definitely miss that Sasuke took a lot of glimpsed of Sakrua as she continually watched the movie. Sasuke was concentrating on her the whole time; he didn't want to miss a single smile, laugh, and expression— anything that bemused him about her.

Sakura looked at her watch, opening her eyes in shock as she looked at Sasuke's eyes and forced her hand out of his grip, _'Sasuke? It's late, and I have school tomorrow. Sorry,' _she whispered as she stood up and walked out of the cinema.

Sasuke quickly stood up and ran for Sakura. He got a grip of her arm as he saw her out the cinema and was looking for money in her bag, "Sakura! I'll just give you a ride home!"

Sakura stooped and looked up at him, giving him a thankful smile, "Thanks."

Sakura looked up once again at Sasuke for the last time as she gave him a grateful smile, "Thanks, Sasuke, I really had a great time. Good night, Sasuke," she stood up and went out the car.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment as she stood up and walked out his car, walking towards her front porch, he couldn't take it anymore, if this was his last chance to make her realize he loved her that much, he'll do anything. He quickly went out of his car and ran up to her, "Sakura!"

Sakura stopped and looked around, eyeing Sasuke who was now running up to her.

Sasuke got a grip on her tired shoulders, looking her in the eyes, gave her a loving smile and hugged her tightly into his chest. He pulled her closer to his body, their body warmth mixing with one another. He leaned his head softly on her shoulder, _'Hold me close, Sakura… never let me go.'_

**Chapter Ended.**


	16. Chapter 16

School of St

_Chapter 16_

_I Finally Say…_

Sakura tried to escape Sasuke's tight grip but she couldn't do it, he was just hugging her too tight and passionately. Why was he doing this? He was hugging her as if this was the last time he could do it. Why? She lifted her head and looked into Sasuke's onyx eyes, _'I just… want to share a few moments with you, Sakura… just stay in my arms for a little while…' _he whispered as he hugged her tighter than before, leaning his head on her shoulder with more care. She sighed and raised her arms as she hugged him back. They stayed there at that position for more than seconds, even more than minutes, it was getting too late, the sky had grown very dark, sleek silence filled the air, but still, both of them stood there, their arms wrapped around each other.

Sakura opened her eyes as she looked at her watch for the second time that night. It was almost midnight. She lowered her hand and put it on Sasuke's chest, feeling it rise up with every slow breath he took. She pushed him slightly away, _'Sasuke… I really should be resting… You should, too…' _she whispered as she turned her back from him and got a grip on the doorknob.

Sasuke followed her and wrapped his arms around her waist from her back as he leaned his head on her surprised shoulder, _'Why don't I just stay here?'_

'_Sasuke… please…' _Sakura pleaded as she relaxed her surprised eyes, raising her hand and laying it on Sasuke's arm around her.

'_I love you, Sakura…' _he whispered to her ear and removed his hand from her and slowly walked to his car.

Sakura opened her door shakily and leaned on it as it closed. She slowly sat down; her back resting on the hard wood door as she felt a smile formed across her face and held her head down. He said it to her, that he loved her.

Sasuke saw back down on his Porsche's driver seat, he could feel his eyes starting to water up. He was about to leave the most precious thing in his life without even telling her goodbye. He could feel regret at why he only realized how much she meant for him when he was almost losing her. He started his car's ignition as he wiped his eyes from the water filling it up; _Uchihas _don't cry.

Slowly, days passed by unnoticed, Sasuke was starting to prepare for his trip back to England. He was in his room, setting aside the suitcase as he let off a sigh and sat down on his bed.

—_Knock. Knock._

Sasuke stood up; surprised he had a visitor. He walked up to his door, "Who is it?" he said weakly.

"It's Shin," the reply came back.

Sasuke looked at the door for a while and slowly opened it, coming face to face with a tall man, who had a resemblance with him, "How can I be of service?"

Shin slowly observed him, he could see how Sasuke's was reacting; he shrugged and didn't pay attention to Sasuke and looked around the only visible part of Sasuke's room, "I want to talk to you… about what you told me a few back."

Sasuke looked at Shin and opened the door widely, "Come on in," he mumbled as he closed the door behind Shin as soon as he was out of the way.

Shin entered the room, observing how everything was in its place. He saw simplicity, a window close to the bed, and a desk on the right side of the room, and not to mention the round bed at the center of the dark room. He looked around, looking for a chair he could seat on but instead, his eyes locked on a blue staircase with the Uchiha mark on it that was set aside on the floor beside the desk, hiding it. He looked back at Sasuke with confused eyes, "You're leaving, Sasuke?"

Sasuke questioningly looked at Shin as he saw that he was staring at his suitcase, he was caught, he knew that he couldn't deny his leave now— now that Shin already saw him like this, "That's nothing, never mind that. Why're you here again?"

Shin looked back at Sasuke with unsatisfied and confused eyes, "Is that why you gave me this?" he snorted as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and waved it at Sasuke's direction, "You're leaving, aren't you? That's why you told me to take care of her. That's why you were with her the whole night. That's why you're trying to mend everything… You're _leaving _her," Shin scolded him, his voice growing louder as he clenched his hands to a fist.

Sasuke looked back at him pathetically giving off a sigh as he sat back down on his shriveled bed, "Yes, Shin, I'm going back to England… My mother just left me no choice."

Shin looked at him with anguished eyes, he felt his fingers plunging into his skin as he went closer to Sasuke. He touched Sasuke's shirt, crumpling it with his hand, "Does she know? Does she know that you're leaving? That you're leaving _her_?"

Sasuke stood up and forefully removed Shin's hand from his shirt and looked at him straight in the eyes, returning his fearless glare, "**No! **She doesn't have any idea what I'm up to! I didn't tell her, okay?" he replied, equally rising his tone, "I don't want to hurt her more, Shin! I want her to be happy… without me."

"If you want her to be happy, you'll tell her, stupid!"

Sasuke looked down and shrugged, Shin had a point. She shook his head furiously and relaxed his hands from its clenching. This was all pointless, he couldn't do anything about it anymore, "I just… I already hurt her once, I don't want to hurt her again…"

"You'll just hurt her even more when you leave her all alone!" Shin retorted as he turned his back from Sasuke, trying to calm himself. He knew that he had no right, but he had to fight off for Sakura's protection.

"She's not going to be alone, Shin," Sasuke answered weakly, tired of the shouting and argument.

"What?" Shin mumbled.

"You'll be there for her when I leave her, happily ever after," Sasuke answered back.

"I won't force myself to her, Sasuke! Don't go hurt her! She's had enough of your stupid and crazy ideas! Go and tell her you're leaving," Shin shouted at him once again. He knew that even if Sakura had no choice but to be left with him, she still won't pink him over Sasuke knowing that he left her for something she didn't quite understand; even the smallest possibility can't help any more.

Sasuke raised his head and pulled Shin to look his way, both their enraged faces met one another, "Why do you care, Shin? You know nothing about Sakura and me! How can you come here and say those foolish words at me?"

Shin looked away, _'I know everything…' _he thought as he shrugged and looked back at Sasuke with blank, emotionless eyes, "Why, Sasuke? You want to know _why?_" he started as he searched Sasuke's eyes for curiosity, "It's because I _**love **_her! I'm finally saying that _I love her, _Sasuke! **I love her**!"

"_Shit…" _Sasuke muttered under his breath as he let his self fall down on his bed. He covered his face and shook his head massively, everything was going wrong. How could he have missed it before? _Shin loves Sakura. _How could he be caught up in this situation? He knew it from the very start; that everything, his feelings and emotions especially, would just ruin everything.

Shin walked towards the door silently but stopped, "…but she loves _you_, Sasuke. I know that you know that."

"What?" Sasuke retorted, thinking he heard something wrong. He knew it. She told him before but it bothered him to hear it from someone else who loves her, too.

"Just don't… _hurt _her again. She's already in too much pain."

"I'm leaving tomorrow!" Sasuke added, wanting Shin to know and hoped that maybe he could do something to make things better. He was counting on him to protect her, to be there for her when he can't at the moment. He looked at the door as he heard it clicked close and Shin disappeared to just footsteps outside his room. He looked back up and stared at the ceiling, if he just had the choice, he'd choose to stay.

_**Shin's Point of View (POV)**_

'_What the heck am I supposed to do?' _I thought to myself as I laid down on my bed. Everything just seemed so appalling and confusing. Would I just let Sasuke leave and let Sakura run crying to me, is that it? And then I win? What? I win her? _With no dignity at all_, I win her?

I don't know what to do anymore. I love her. I love her too much just to lie to her, but if that was what Sasuke wished, to hurt her and leave her all alone, should I give in? I tilted my head and took a pillow in my hands, laying it under my head. I stretched my arms up and laid my head on my palms, too. Why did this have to be so frustrating?

I could feel something cold on my wrist; I raised my hand up and stared at a bracelet that was hanging on my wrist. _'Sakura…' _I thought. She had given me this a while back and still, it gives me a feeling so frustrating and lovely at the same time. It was her mother's; it was hers. I stretched out my other hand and slowly let my finger slide on the silver surface of the bracelet.

And that was it. A choice I had to take. _I love her, that's why I had to let her go._

**Chapter Ended.**


	17. Chapter 17

School of St

_Chapter 17_

_You Just Don't Know How Much…_

_**Normal Point of View**_

Sakura was staring at her computer that night, waiting for anyone to talk to her, she felt so bored alone with nothing to do at home.

—_Teet._

Sakura sighed in relief as she saw a chat room pop up on her window.

_Unwanted Shin: _Sakura…

_CherryBlossoms: _Yes?

_Unwanted Shin: _Can I tell you something?

_CherryBlossoms: _Of course.

'_What could he be up to?' _Sakura thought as she continuously replied to Shin. She was getting worried with him since their last talk. He started acting weird since the night he got drunk, and it worries her that there might be something wrong and he has a problem he wasn't telling her about. Maybe this was it, the time he's tell her.

A simper slowly formed across her face.

_Unwanted Shin: _Never mind.

_CherryBlossoms: _Are you sure? Are you even okay, Shin?

_Unwanted Shin: _I'm perfectly fine. :)

'_Fine?' _Sakura let out a sigh. She knew Shin too well. When he says he's totally fine, he means the opposite. _There was a problem _and he wasn't telling her.

_CherryBlossoms: _Really? What is it?

_Unwanted Shin: _I told you, never mind.

_CherryBlossoms: _Okay, then.

_Unwanted Shin: —————————_

Sakura panicked as the lights in her room flickered and her computer turned off and restarted.

_CherryBlossoms: _Really? What is it?

_Unwanted Shin: _I told you, never mind.

_CherryBlossoms: _Okay, then.

Shin stared at his computer; his eyes were hurting from the sudden radiation the computer was giving him. He wanted to let her know what he's been keeping inside of him for weeks, before he let go of everything he felt, he wanted to let her know. He started to type slowly the letters: _I… Lo… Ve… You…_

'_CherryBlossoms just signed out.'_

_Unwanted Shin: _I love you, Sakura.

"Damn it," he whispered as he looked at his computer and realized that Sakura got offline just before he had entered in the words; before he could've told her he loves her. He could feel the disappointment flowing through his mind as he stood up and turned his computer off.

The bell just rang alarming Sakura that it was already break time. She silently went up the rooftop, wishing to catch a glimpse of Shin and tell him sorry for getting off suddenly. She walked up the stairs and quietly opened the door. She smiled as she took sight of Shin wearing a bandana. She gleefully walked up to him and covered his eyes with her hand, "Shin-kun! Guess who!"

Shin let out a sigh and raised his hand and gently removed Sakura's hand from his eyes, turning around to face her, "Sakura…"

Sakura looked into his eyes and clearly saw the sadness it held, "Are you mad at me for getting off last night? The electricity just got jammed, that's all, I'm sorry, Shin," she rushed out her mouth, eyeing him with concern.

"No, that's not it," Shin told her, gently letting go of Sakura's hand as he shook his head.

"Then what it is, then? What's with you?" Sakura asked curiously, she wasn't used to Shin's awkward movements. She was right, there was a problem and she won't let it pass now; she had to know.

'_You just don't know, Sakura…' _he whispered as he looked in another way, ashamed. Keeping this secret was breaking him into pieces. He didn't know if he could keep it from the girl he loves, especially now that she's going to lose the person _she _loves… and letting her go, for him, it just kills him more.

"What? Tell me," said Sakura, her smile turning into a frown.

Shin sighed, "He really didn't tell you…"

"What? Who's he? Tell me what happened, Shin! You're killing me here!" Sakura shouted, getting irritated, and at the same time, confused. What was he telling her? Why won't he just get to the point?

Shin turned to look at her, staring into her green orbs, he raised his hands and got a grip on her, he hugged her tightly in his arms, he wanted to keep her there, to keep her safe from all the things that could hurt her, _'You just don't know, Sakura… but I— I truly… __**love **__you.'_

Sakura opened her eyes widely as he whispered those words in her ear, she tried to laugh, think it was all a joke. She struggled to get out of Shin's grasp, she just can't take in whatever he had said, what was he really trying to tell her? She wished she heard wrong, but he was struggling with her to keep her there, "I'm… _I'm letting you go for him, Sakura… for your happiness."_

"Just… get to the point, Shin," she answered weakly in his arms.

"_I love you, Sakura. _Remember that. Sasuke… He's leaving. He's leaving, Sakura."

Sakura slowly melted down, giving off an emotionless laugh, the part of her that thought that Shin was only joking took her. Maybe he was just joking like the last time he did, but something inside her stir and wanted to break down and cry because she knew he wouldn't joke about something like this, with his eyes so sincere, "What're you trying to say? He— He didn't tell me anything about leaving…"

Shin released her and removed his bandana. He slowly handed it to Sakura and looked at her confused face with pity as she took it in her shaking hands, "He gave that to me."

Sakura stared at it and felt its smooth familiarity to her, she turned it around, feeling something imprinted on it and saw Sasuke's name inscripted on it, "This…" she said, her voice fading into nothing, she dropped to her knees and hugged the hanky to her chest. She didn't know what was happening; she didn't know what to believe in that moment. Was Shin really telling her the truth? She started to regain the feelings she had felt before when Sasuke first abandoned her… but _this_… this was more awful.

"Where… Where is he going?" she asked Shin as she looked up at him.

"He's going back to Europe," he replied as he pathetically looked at Sakura, wishing he could do something to help her, to make her feel better. It stings him like hell, seeing Sakura like this.

"When?"

Shin shook his head; he didn't want her to suffer more.

Sakura stood up and shook him, "When, Shin? Tell me when."

'_Today…' _he whispered to her, feeling weaker, too.

"Drive me to their office building right now, Shin!" Sakura shouted at him as she held his wrist and pulled him forward.

Shin just stared at her dumbfounded, "Sakura? We can't… We still have… _classes, _and besides… he's going to England, why their office building?"

She looked into his dark green eyes and started punching his chest as hard a she could, she didn't want to argue like this, she just wanted to see Sasuke, not to let him leave her once again, because there was a big difference of all of this from before, '_You don't know standard procedure for the Uchiha, Shin! You don't know! You just don't know how much! How __**much—**__!'_

**Chapter Ended.**


	18. Chapter 18

School of St

_Last Chapter_

_Just… Please, Don't Leave Me._

'_How __**much—**__!'_

'_You love him…' _Shin whispered, finishing Sakura's statement even though he could feel his heart break into a million pieces. For him, there was no more chance; Sasuke will forever hold Sakura's heart.

Sakura stopped and looked at him with pleading eyes, "Yes, Shin… So, _please… _please, help me."

Shin looked back at her and tried to stop giving in but he can't, he just loved her so much. He took her hands and pulled her down the stairs, to his car. He didn't mind if he would break school rules, he would do anything to stop Sakura's crying and hurting. He took his keys and let her enter his car. He started the ignition as fast as he could possibly can. They went off, not minding the school guards that were trying to stop them.

At times, he would take glimpses of Sakura who was weeping beside him. He reached out for her, pulling her head to lean on his shoulder. He felt her tears smudge on his uniform as she held unto his shirt and cried on his shoulder. He wanted so much to help her, to stop her crying, but Sasuke was the only solution, and he knew that very well.

Sakura cried the whole way to Uchiha's office. She didn't mind if she died at that time, she only wanted to see _him, _to make sure he wasn't leaving her. It would just hurt her too much; she didn't want to break anymore. She quickly ran out Shin's car as fast as she could, she pulled Shin out and ran up to the rooftop of the office, pushing off the guards. There, they saw a raven-haired teenager standing and staring up the beautiful sky.

Sakura sighed and ran towards him, "Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned around and saw his pink-haired best friend running towards him, her beautiful green eyes now swelling as tears continuously flowed down her cheek. Sakura dove at him and hugged him tightly more than ever. She cried and cried in his arms, leaning her head on his sturdy chest. He slowly leaned his head on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her back, caressing her and helping her to let out everything, to just cry in his arms.

Shin stared at both of them; he could feel his heart beating slower and slower. He can't keep up; he turned around and entered the fire exit as he leaned on the door, slowly falling to pieces as he tried to block off everything surrounding him.

'_What're you doing here, Sakura?' _Sasuke whispered as he lifted his head up and looked at her, he could feel her breaking. He knew that if he did this, he would just cause her more pain, but isn't marrying someone else will hurt her more?

'_Please don't leave me, Sasuke,' _she mumbled, just crying and crying as she looked back into Sasuke's onyx eyes, he looked stressed, _'I need you here.'_

Sasuke looked into her broken eyes, and slowly wiped her tears away, _'I have to, Sakura… I just have to.'_

'_Why, Sasuke? Tell me why.'_

He looked at her and gave her a weak smile, _'I'm going to get the stars for you, Sakura, to show you how much I love you.'_

Sakura smiled at his silly remark. He wasn't leaving her to hurt her. She looked up at the sky, grateful, _'Always…'_

'…_Remember that we're looking up at the same beautiful sky,' _Sasuke finished for her, giving her a wide smile and leaned closer to Sakura, if only he didn't need to leave. He moved in, gently pressing his lips on hers, he could taste the saltiness that was on her soft, sweet lips from the tears she shed. She shifted underneath him and slowly smiled, after several seconds, she was kissing him back. It wasn't a kiss of goodbye, it somehow gave both of them the certainty that they will never leave each other, not physically. It was a kiss of promise, a promise never to forget.

Sasuke gently wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist, feeling her. This was all he could assure Sakura, that he will return. He slowly pulled away with a smile on his face, _'I love you, Sakura…'_

She smiled back at him; she knew that he would return for her, never to leave her again, _'I love you too, Sasuke…'_

'_Finally,' _Sasuke teased as he leaned again to give her a peck on the cheeks.

Sakura shifted, forgetting that she was holding onto the handkerchief she had once given Sasuke. She raised her hand up and opened them, wanting to touch Sasuke's hands, but she caught sight of the handkerchief slowly swaying away from them, carried by the weak breeze.

"Sasuke… the handkerchief!"

Sakura pointed to the flying handkerchief that was once within her grasp as she removed Sasuke's grip on her and ran towards it. She tried to reach for it, not wanting it to get far from them; it just had too much sentimental value for both of them for her just to let it go. It flew close to the edge but still, she ran for it.

Shin was staring at the scene. His heart aching, seeing Sasuke and Sakura kissing one another, but as soon as the picture was there, it was also gone, and all he could see now was Sakura running towards the handkerchief even if it was already to the edge of the building. He ran towards her, "Forget the stupid handkerchief, Sakura!"

Sakura looked at him and frowned, Shin didn't know how much the handkerchief meant for her, and it was just hurting her that he wanted her to let go of it; she shook her head and looked back to the direction of the hanky.

Shin cursed under his breath, pushing Sasuke aside as he reached for her arm and held unto it tightly, "Don't be stupid, Sakura."

"I'm not," she snorted back up at him as she struggled to get out of his grip. Shin gave off a sigh and slowly released her, watching her intently. Why was she doing this? She could fall off, and just for that stupid handkerchief. And what was Sasuke doing? Only staring at her, like he didn't mind, like he wasn't worried. He just stared at Sakura, letting her stand beside the edge of the concrete building as she reached out for the hanky.

Shin turned around, wanting to glare at Sasuke for doing nothing to protect and stop Sakura. It was wrong of him to take his watch away from her but he wanted to let Sasuke know that he was unsatisfied of him, that he wasn't good enough for Sakura. He couldn't see Sakura wobbling on the edge, giving all she could just to reach for the unfortunate handkerchief.

Shin jumped up at surprise as he heard Sakura shriek behind him, he quickly turned around and came to look at her, she was almost falling off the edge, he felt strong hands push him back, letting him fall on the hard floor as he saw the raven-haired guy running past him towards Sakura, "**Sakura!**" he heard him shout at her. He saw Sasuke pulling Sakura back, the force pushing him forward. Sakura dropped on the floor harshly as Shin stood up and ran for the edge, reaching out his hand but time was so fast, they couldn't do anything about it. Sakura hurriedly stood up and looked down on the edge, she couldn't see Sasuke anymore below the 50-foored building.

A tear slowly ran down her cheek, _"__**Sasuke!"**_

**End.**

_A/N: I hope the revisions will satisfy more readers. I'm sorry if my chapters are short, I'm trying to make the chapters longer for __**I Lost My Best Friend, **__the sequel to I Love My Best Friend, which I'm planning to post in several weeks, thanks to my past readers who asked me to continue. Thank you all for the support and hope to see you soon on my future fics. JA NE! :)_


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